We're All a Little Broken Inside
by MonPetitTresor
Summary: Once, a long time ago, Tony had had a different family. One that he loved and that he thought loved him. All it took was one afternoon and too many secrets and that happy family he thought he had came tumbling down around him. Now, two centuries later, the new life he's built for himself is threatening to do the same. (Full summary inside)
1. Chapter 1

_Once, a long time ago, Tony had had a different family. One that he loved and that he thought loved him. All it took was one afternoon and too many secrets and that happy family he thought he had came tumbling down around him._

 _Now, two centuries later, he's not the same terrified boy that was banished from his home. He's made a new life for himself, a new family - albeit a small one - and for the most part, he's happy. There are things he wants that he knows he'll never have, but he's always known that was the way it would be._

 _But now suddenly the new life that he's built for himself is being invaded by his old one. Secrets that Tony had kept buried deep are coming to light and once more threatening to destroy everything he holds dear. Will he be able to weather the storm, or is he once more going to find himself suffering under the hands of those that once claimed to love him, cast out and forced to run? Or will he finally get a chance to actually be happy?_

Also: Just a heads up on a few things – it's been REALLY hard trying to match up the age of Thor and Loki with everything in their histories. I don't think the MCU did that great of a job on laying out a timeline for their ages – so I'm making my own a little. Bear with me on it, it shouldn't come up too much in comparison to stuff that happens aroudn them.

* * *

 _Pain was the only thing that he could feel. Every inch of his body felt as if it'd been torn apart. Inside, his magic was screaming, battering against the bonds that held it tight, while outside it felt as if something were trying to peel the very skin off his bones. It was agony, unlike anything he'd ever known. He screamed, only to feel the pull against his lips, the tear of thread against flesh, and he gagged at the bile that rose in his throat._

Father _, he wanted to beg._ Father, please!

 _When he looked up, cold eyes were staring back at him, making it clear no quarter would be found here._

 _The same hands that had once gathered him up and carried him to bed, that had held his hand when he was still only waist high, now slapped him away when his own traitorous hands reached for a being who had once meant safety. Now, that very same person meant only pain._

 _As if his father could hear him, his sneer grew. "You are no son of mine."_

 _A hand came flying up, and then the world was a blur of sound and light and_ pain _, and he was screaming, begging, let it be over. Please, let it be over! Please, no, Father, please! Fa—_

* * *

"—ther!"

The sound of his own voice wrenched Tony Stark from the last dregs of that hellish nightmare. Pain still echoed all through his body and on his lips. In a flash, his hands were up at his mouth, fingers pressing in only to find the fuzz of his facial hair and smooth lips. A ragged gasp tore from his lips. _A dream_ , he told himself. _It was only a dream._ Somehow, that reminder did nothing to ease the pain, nor the way his hands shook as he lowered them back down.

Gods above, it'd been a long time since he'd had that dream! Years could go by without it plaguing him, only for it to crop up at the worst possible times when he was at his absolute lowest. Then it was as if his mind wanted to remind him that things really _weren't_ that bad. They could be worse. _So much worse_.

Tony had barely dropped his hands back down before a familiar, low voice started to speak. Just hearing it was enough to help calm the pounding of his heart.

"Good morning, sir. It is 5:07 in the morning and the temperature today is due to reach a high of seventy-two. You have a meeting with Ms. Potts this afternoon to discuss your plans for the Tower's arc reactor, as well as a conference call scheduled for afterward. Also on the agenda for today, I do believe it is time for Dum-E's routine maintenance – his movements have become increasingly erratic the past three days, suggesting there is something wrong."

The words washed over Tony like they had a magic of their own. So far, nothing in his current life had ever helped to break him from nightmares as quickly as JARVIS was able to. The AI was amazing at walking the line between too much or too little information. He could talk for the next hour if it were what Tony needed to settle down once more.

At the back of his mind, in the place where he kept things he knew better than to think about, memories of someone else soothing him after nightmares, scratched at the walls, only to be ruthlessly shoved down.

One shaky breath, and another, and then one more for good measure, and Tony finally managed to put on a shaky smile he knew wouldn't fool JARVIS. "Morning to you too, J."

"I have coffee brewing already in the kitchen, sir, and it should be done by the time you've had your shower."

Oh, _coffee._ That sounded like exactly what Tony needed. A good strong cup to help wake him up. There was no way Tony was going back to sleep after this. "I knew you were my favorite for a reason, buddy," Tony praised him.

JARVIS proved why he was Tony's favorite even more when he said nothing about the way that Tony's legs shook when he first tried to stand beside his bed. With fumbling steps, Tony made his way to the bathroom, where he found the shower was already on. All Tony had to do was stagger his way over to the shower and put himself inside. Thank God he slept in the nude. Tony didn't even have to waste time stripping anything off. All he had to do was grab the glass door and open it enough for him to almost fall inside.

Once in there, he didn't worry so much about keeping his legs under him. He sank down onto the seat that, lately, had been getting used as a support in too many decidedly un-sexy ways. There, Tony was free to hold the nearby railing and bow his head under the almost scalding water as he tried to chase away the last vestiges of a nightmare he knew he'd never be able to entirely get rid of.

In here, where he knew no one but JARVIS could see or hear him, where there was no one around to catch his moment of weakness, Tony gave in a little to the pain that was living in his heart. He kept hold of the railing as he bowed his head and let out a shaky " _Fuck._ " Of all the ways to start a morning, this was his least favorite _by far_. Tony rubbed a hand over his face and tried to make his next breath just a bit steadier. " _Fuck_ ," he swore again.

The nightmares might've been easier to handle if they were just that – nightmares. But they were worse. While Tony's unconscious mind was capable of bringing up plenty to terrify him with, it was always most effective at bringing up the memories that Tony never wanted to think about. Memories that Tony would never be able to get rid of no matter how hard he tried. During the day Tony was generally able to ignore them. Sometimes, he could even go for days – months, once or twice – without ever thinking about them. When the nightmares would hit, Tony would take his time, recover, and then go about his day pretending that they weren't there. That there wasn't a place inside of him that rattled more and more with each passing year, threatening to unleash all the things he didn't want to think about.

Painful as it was, Tony had had it under control. Or, at least, that was what he liked to tell himself.

For the most part, it was true, too. Tony locked away those memories even deeper than he locked away the ones of Afghanistan and it was _working_ … right up until the moment he'd watched the news and seen the reports about the giant cone of light that had hit down in New Mexico.

One hack of SHIELD later and Tony had stared at the screens in front of him in absolute horror at what he found.

His brother walked the earth.

And he was _mortal_.

The nightmares had come back with a vengeance that night, and they'd plagued Tony most nights since then. It didn't get any better when he found out later that Thor was once more a god and that he'd returned back home. For so long now, the earth had been Tony's shelter, specifically because Asgard never came here anymore. He'd thought he was safe when he came here to hide. Seeing Thor on TV, reading about him in the SHIELD files, took any illusions of safety Tony had and threw them to the wind. He wasn't safe here anymore.

So why hadn't he left?

That question plagued Tony constantly. It troubled him now as he sat shaking in his shower like a scared child. The water beat down on him, hot and perfect, and yet he trembled like he had a chill he couldn't entirely escape.

Why did Thor have to come here now? What was happening back ho—back in Asgard that had their Crown Prince sent to Earth as a _mortal_? Had the Allfather banished another of his sons?

 _If he did, it sure didn't last_ , Tony thought to himself. The words were as sharp and cutting as any knife. _Apparently, he got to go back home. Whatever he did, it wasn't that bad. It wasn't irredeemable._ Not like Tony's crimes.

No, whatever Thor had done, it was clear it wasn't anywhere near as bad as Tony's crimes. He must've redeemed himself somehow and regained his powers, free to go back to the Golden Halls of Asgard, a Prince once more.

In the privacy of his own shower, Tony let himself hate his older brother, just a little bit.

* * *

All those years ago when Tony had chosen Earth as his new home, he'd been meticulous constructing his new identity. The long years had taught him well how to hide from the sight of others. There were tricks he'd learned from reputable – and not so reputable – sources, as well as things he'd thought up himself. All of which helped to mask his presence wherever he went.

He'd put all that knowledge to use when he built his plan for his new life on earth. He had all the spells in place to hide him, set up to naturally feed off his seidr without any input from him, and he had the spell needed to be able to begin a new life. Not just to hide as he'd been doing for the past two hundred years. No, things were going to be different this time. He wasn't going to be the nameless wanderer hiding here and there and never genuinely belonging. Tony was tired – so damn tired of being alone. So he found a spell and tweaked it to suit his needs, and then he found the perfect Midgardian couple.

The spell was designed to help Tony start a new life. To make him appear as human as any of the other mortals. It took his powers and locked them deep inside, and it hid him inside the body of a mortal – a young, _infant_ mortal, granted to a couple who'd been trying desperately to have a child. His magic was to stay locked away until he was eighteen years old, the age that humans seemed to believe they were adults. He'd be old enough to be considered a human adult as well as capable of keeping his magic more hidden than he would be as a child.

Tony had been as careful as possible. He'd chosen a couple that looked happy, who looked like they wanted a child desperately, and he'd set up every safeguard he could to make sure that he wouldn't be helpless if trouble came calling.

He'd been so sure that Midgard would be safe for him. Asgard hadn't come here for hundreds and hundreds of years. Not since the Frost Giants had tried to invade. They'd stayed back and left the humans to their own devices. Therefore, it seemed the most logical and safest place for a banished son of Asgard to hide.

And it had been. Tony had been safe from the reach of Asgard and its King for almost all of his mortal life. That wasn't to say that he hadn't had hardships – there'd been plenty of those. But Tony dealt with them. He _flourished_ in his new life, even with the few setbacks he'd hit.

He really should've known it would never last.

* * *

Though Tony had managed to shake off the remaining chill of his dream by the time he made his way out for coffee, he couldn't quite seem to shut off his thoughts. There was a part of him that felt more on edge than usual. It tingled along his magic and had him slightly jumpy for most of the day. Pepper even noticed it in their meeting and called him on it, watching him with curious and concerned eyes. "Are you all right today, Tony?"

He thought of lying to her at first. Tony was practiced at smiling even when he didn't feel like it. He generally didn't try as hard with Pepper, though. Even though she didn't know who he really was, Tony was comfortable around her in ways he so rarely was with anyone else. Because of that, he smiled at her, but he didn't bother trying to oversell it the way he would've with anyone else. "I'm fine, Pep. Long night."

"Do we need to reschedule?"

And that right there was one of the reasons why he loved her so damn much. She was the best friend a person could ask for. While she was a damn good CEO and was talented at getting him to sign paperwork and deal with meetings even when he didn't want to, she also _cared_ about him. _Him_. Not the Stark name, or what he could do for her, or any of those other things – just Tony. If Tony had been less damaged, and his heart hadn't already belonged to someone else, he could've seen himself really trying for something with her. Having someone who understood him so well even without knowing _all_ of him, and who cared anyway, was something Tony knew better than to squander.

The warmth Tony felt for her showed in his eyes as his smile softened. "Nah. Let's get the boring stuff out of the way. Though, if you wanted you're more than welcome to stick around afterward while I go get all this done. It'd be nice to have someone witness just how awesome I am. Once I'm done I'll come back an we can celebrate with a bottle of something stupidly expensive and delicious."

Pepper laughed at him, warm and relaxed, and nodded. "Sounds like a plan to me."

Once they got their business dealt with, and Tony had his annoying conference call, her company was a good distraction from that feeling of _wrongness_ that wouldn't leave Tony alone. She left their job titles at the door while she relaxed in the living room of Tony's penthouse. Here, she just became 'Pepper Potts', the sharp-minded girl who had no issue whatsoever with snarking back at him when he spoke, or who could give as good as she got despite what people might think of her. She was right up there with Rhodey as one of Tony's best friends.

The two of them had worked hard together on the project to get Stark Tower running on its own arc reactor. Pepper was just as passionate as Tony about all the work they were doing in clean energy. Having her there while he did it felt good. Tony listened to her and JARVIS both in his ear as he flew the suit down into the water and did the work that would set them up on the road towards clean energy. It helped him ignore that nagging feeling even more.

"Good to go on this end," Tony said once he was back up out of the water. "The rest is up to you."

" _You disconnected the transmission lines? Are we off the grid_?"

"Stark Tower is about to become a beacon of self-sustaining clean energy."

The video on the end of his HUD showed her grinning at him. " _Well, assuming the arc reactor takes over, and it actually works_."

"I assume," Tony shot back.

They bickered a little more through his flight back, and Tony landed with high spirits. This was _precisely_ what he'd needed to get his day back on track. Doing some good, honest work, getting to hang out for the evening with a good and trusted friend, potentially get a bit drunk. Once he got Pepper drunk enough to not notice, he could switch out his champagne with his own personal alcohol and actually get himself drunk right along with her.

When JARVIS told him, "Sir, Agent Coulson of SHIELD is on the line," there was no way Tony was going to let that go through. No way, no how, nuh-uh. Nothing and no one was going to ruin the good mood he'd worked for here. "I'm not in," Tony said firmly. "I'm actually out."

"Sir, I'm afraid he's insisting."

Tony snorted at that. Agent Coulson, insisting on something? What a shocker. "Grow a spine, JARVIS. I've got plans."

His words were loud enough for Pepper to hear and they had her chuckling at him. "Do you, now?" She shook her head at the cocky grin he sent her way. Then her focus turned back to the screen in front of her, and she ignored his playful flirting just like she always did. "Levels are holding steady...I think."

"Of course they are, I was directly involved." Tony fired back. His arrogance, as usual, just made her roll her eyes at him. Times like this he wished he could bring himself to care about her more than he did. He wished he was capable of that kind of caring.

The bad feeling from before tried to slip back in, and Tony shoved it firmly down. If his smile became just a little bit forced, Pepper didn't comment on it. She just poked and teased him and drew him over to the couch so they could enjoy the champagne that she'd set out. Tony found himself relaxing as they started to poke at one another about how much credit either one of them deserved. Tony was pretty sure he was going to be made to pay for the 'twelve percent' he'd tried to gift her. That was fine, though. He'd mostly said it just to watch the way she lit up as she glared at him.

Their moment was shot when JARVIS's voice came back, distinctly distressed. "Sir, the telephone. I'm afraid my protocols are being overwritten…" There was a pause, and then a different voice was speaking through Tony's phone, one that he very much did not want to hear.

"Mr. Stark, we need to talk," Phil Coulson said.

Goddammit. Couldn't these vultures leave him alone?

Apparently, that answer was no.

Two minutes later, the elevator doors were opening, and Phil came walking out like he'd been invited up here. Like he hadn't just invaded Tony's personal space and _overrode JARVIS_ to do it. Instantly, Tony's mind was spinning with the implications of that and planning ahead to run a full diagnostic on JARVIS to make sure that there was no damage and that nothing had been implanted while Phil was pushing his way through. Then he'd see about patching whatever hole there apparently was that allowed the bastard of an agent to actually break in like that.

His annoyance over the whole matter didn't last long. Not when that wrong feeling was back, stronger than ever, screaming at him from the instant that Pepper handed him what Phil had brought.

Whatever Tony had expected to find, it wasn't… _this_.

The Avengers Initiative. That was the first thing that Tony came across. It wasn't, however, the one that held his attention the most. No – what got his attention was something that very much should _not_ be here on Earth. Or, more accurately, two somethings. Tony's whole body felt like it was frozen as he stared down at the small screen in front of him. He was too numb to even bring the images up like he'd be planning. Instead, he just stood there, staring down at the file on the screen in front of him, fighting the urge to either lean in closer or throw the thing far, far away from him.

Just barely did he even register Pepper coming up to him. Whatever he said to her must've been okay, or at least somewhat reasonable. Moments later she was leaving with Phil and Tony was alone in his penthouse once more.

Not even the bright image of the Tesseract was enough to fully capture Tony's attention at the moment. Instead, all he could do was stare at the pictures beside it. He reached out a shaking hand, just lightly brushing his fingers across the screen. Then he drew that hand up until the image of his younger brother now floated in the air in front of him.

That only made it worse. It felt like Tony's heart jumped up to lodge in his throat. Tony's eyes were locked on the image of a person whom he hadn't seen in around two hundred years, and who he'd never thought he'd see again. A person who had once been the most important being in his entire world – and who would probably now try and kill him on sight, if he were lucky. Thinking that made Tony feel sick, yet he couldn't look away. He drank in the features that had once been as familiar to him as his own.

Loki was older now. His hair was a bit longer and his body definitely a bit more filled out. The last of youthful slenderness had made way for a more adult frame. Tony licked dry lips and let out another shaky breath.

"Sir?" JARVIS asked softly. His tone was caution and concern both, all wrapped up in a single word.

Tony startled when he realized he'd brought his hand up to his mouth again to trace over the scars that weren't there. Not in this form, at least. They were covered underneath the illusion that he always wore. The same one that made him look a bit less 'godly' and a little more human. As soon as he realized where his hand was, Tony curled his fingers in and dropped his fist down to his side. His voice only shook a little when he managed to force it to work. "I'm fine."

"Sir, if you don't mind my saying…"

"I do," Tony cut in quickly. He couldn't… he couldn't do this. Tony couldn't have this conversation now. Not while he was standing here staring at _him_. "Just… just talk to me, Jarv. Lay it out for me. What's going on?"

There was a soft sigh that JARVIS would deny ever even being able to do. Then, bless the kid, he did what Tony asked. "It would appear to me that a SHIELD base has been attacked and an item known as the Tesseract was stolen by one who identified himself as Loki. Two agents and one scientist were taken as hostages, seemingly controlled by the staff that Loki carries with him."

Part of Tony flinched at each use of Loki's name. The rest of him, though, was focusing on the facts, using those to help get him past the emotions. It was what he'd always done. Bury his feelings under work and hope for the best. This time was no different, even if his problem was bigger than ever.

Loki had come to earth and stolen the Tesseract – which the humans shouldn't have, actually. Why on earth was he doing that? And why like this? This wasn't… it wasn't Loki's style! Granted, things could've definitely changed since the last time Tony saw him. But _this much_? It didn't feel right. Barging in like this, making demands, taking what he wanted in front of so many witnesses, that was more _Thor's_ style than Loki's! Loki was all about slipping in unnoticed if at all possible or tricking his way in there. A disguise, maybe, or even something as simple as an invisibility spell. That would've been enough to get him past the humans in there! So why _this_?

Tony made himself look at Loki's picture once more as if he'd somehow be able to read the answers on his face. There was a time when he might have been able to.

It was as he stared at Loki's face that he noticed something very much _wrong_. He didn't even pay attention to it as he took a quick step forward. Hands already moving before the thought was yet finished, Tony reached out and spread the image, zooming in until Loki's face was larger than life right in front of him. Loki's eyes… why were Loki's eyes blue?

"JARVIS, am I seeing things?"

"You'll have to be slightly more specific than that, sir," JARVIS said smoothly.

The sarcasm was enough to make Tony roll his eyes, at least a little, which was likely JARVIS's intention. "What color are Loki's eyes?" He was a bit proud of himself that he didn't stumble over his brother's name.

After a brief pause, JARVIS answered, "Blue."

"They shouldn't be." Tony drew his hands back and crossed his arms over his chest. "They should be green, not blue. What would change that?" There were things out there that could. On earth, it was as simple as _contacts_. For a mage like Loki, it'd be an easy enough illusion, or even potentially something he could use his shapeshifting abilities for. Usually, he changed multiple things, but maybe he'd decided to change just his eyes.

But there were other things… darker things that Tony couldn't help but worry about. Namely the fact that Loki's eyes seemed to be the exact same shade of blue as the Tesseract beside him.

The history between him and his family didn't matter at that moment. Tony knew what a risk he was about to take. Going near anything that involved Loki also meant that it was going to include Thor, and being near either one was as good as sending himself to his own execution. Even if they let him go without killing him, there was no doubt in Tony's mind he'd get the beating of a lifetime, though he could handle that. It would be the looks in their eyes that would break him.

But none of that mattered. Not if what Tony was suspecting here about the Tesseract and Loki were right. If there was something wrong with his little brother, there was no way Tony could stand back and do nothing. He had to help. He had to _try_.

Determination straightened his spine. No matter what happened to him, Tony was going to do his best to help, even if it damned him in the process.

He just hoped, when all was said and done, they'd at least grant him enough time to run. But no matter how things went down, his life as Tony Stark was going to be over.


	2. Chapter 2

It took most of the night and part of the next morning for Tony to go through all the information Phil had brought him. There was more than just information on his family to look over; Tony had to put aside his own personal issues to focus on the more important matters. Namely, what on earth Loki was planning on doing with the Tesseract, why he'd taken agents hostage – and Dr. Selvig, too – and what sort of endgame was being worked towards here.

There was a lot of information to take in, and it wasn't made any easier by the personal connection.

"What am I gonna do, J?" Tony stood surrounded by images, information, all of it forming a full circle around him, and he felt like he was drowning in it. How was he supposed to handle this? "I can't just sit back and let whatever's going on just _happen_. Whatever this is with the Tesseract and Loki and that stupid scepter, it's not right. It's got control over him somehow. SHIELD"s not going to just take my word for it, though. They won't want to waste time on this. They'll just want to lock him up."

"Unfortunately, sir, that is likely. However, it's just as likely that they'll do the same to you should you go and reveal your presence to those who might recognize you."

That was just the best-case scenario. Being locked up by SHIELD was a far better fate than the one that awaited Tony if the Allfather got a hold of him again. Sure, he'd banished Tony, and he'd already punished him for his crime, but that didn't mean he'd be gentle if they came across one another again. Especially if he found out Tony was around Loki and Thor.

None of that even touched on how Loki or Thor might react to him. Those were thoughts that Tony wasn't even sure he wanted to entertain.

Tony brought one hand up to rub against the arc reactor. The tingle of the magic inside of it pressed back against his hand comfortingly. The reminder that it was there, that he was protected by the spells he'd anchored in it, helped ease Tony's worries ever so slightly. "They don't have to know it's me. The suit keeps me hidden. An I could always toss up an illusion if I need to." It wasn't like he wasn't already wearing one all the time anyway.

There was no chance for JARVIS to argue Tony's plan, or for Tony to come up with anything better. Off to the left one of the screens started to flash. Tony turned towards it and felt his stomach clench. The facial recognition that SHIELD had been running had found a match. They'd found Loki. He was at a party of some sort in Stuttgart, Germany.

Tony didn't even think about it before he waved a hand and shut down all projections and started to make his way over to the launching pad. "JARVIS, get my suit."

* * *

The flight to Stuttgart gave Tony plenty of time to think. Or, at least, _try to_. Every plan he came up with only seemed to come out more desperate than the last. Usually _stupider_ , too. In the end, it ended up being the way all his plans seemed to go – fly by the seat of his pants and hope for the best.

Of course, he couldn't do any of it without the flare that Tony Stark was known for. As he got close, he had JARVIS hack into the small SHIELD jet so he could project his voice inside.

"Agent Romanoff, you miss me?"

He was grinning as JARVIS set 'Shoot to Thrill' to play loud and clear for everyone to hear. Tony might've been terrified of what he was about to do; that didn't mean that everyone got to know it. He came flying in with the music blaring and shot Loki with a repulsor blast that he knew wouldn't actually harm him. It was enough to send the mage flying back to land on the stairs, though.

Tony hit the ground and thanked everything that the suit hid just how much his knees were shaking as he straightened himself back up. Both arms came up, and weapons were held at the ready. The voice modulator in the suit hid any tremor that was there at the sight of Loki right there in front of him after _so long_. "Make your move, Reindeer Games."

If Tony hadn't already realized that something wasn't right, he would've in the next moment as Loki shed his armor and lifted his hands. _Surrendering_. Not teleporting away, not fighting, not making a duplicate of himself and then vanishing. No, he was _surrendering_. The shock of it was enough that Tony could only stare for a moment, barely even aware of the man stepping up beside him calling him _Mr. Stark_. This was wrong. This was all so, so wrong.

That feeling clung to Tony as Steve put a pair of cuffs on Loki and hauled him towards the jet that was being brought down to land. Tony stared at him for a moment before he followed. There was a feeling deep down in his magic that told him there was so much more to this than met the eye. There was something he was missing here, and it was going to come up and bite them all in the ass if he didn't figure it out.

 _Soon_.

* * *

The quinjet was quiet as they headed towards the Helicarrier. Tony stayed within the protection of his suit, mask down to hide his face, and he watched his brother sitting calmly and quietly where Steve had put him. When he'd first arrived, he'd been reacting, running on adrenaline and trying to get to Loki before anything serious happened to him. Now that they had him and there was nothing for Tony to do, it left him free to just look at him. The mask made sure no one knew that he was staring.

Seeing Loki up close like this was so much harder than seeing a picture. Aside from the wrongness of the blue eyes that were carefully watching the whole of the jet, the rest of him looked… _off_. Too slender, too twitchy. His hair was in desperate need of a cut and was nowhere near the slicked back way Loki preferred to keep it. And when was the last time he'd eaten? His face was so slender, Tony could've cut himself on Loki's cheekbones!

That feeling of things being wrong only grew the longer that Tony stood there and observed Loki. There was nothing about this situation that felt right.

Why had Loki given up so easily? Why was he sitting there so calmly, like there was nowhere else he'd rather be? He wasn't talking, wasn't taunting, wasn't even trying to manipulate his way out of here. Nor had he fought them on it. He'd just come along with them like it was no big deal…like it was a part of the plan…

Tony wasn't the only one thinking, it seemed. His thoughts were broken by Steve Rogers suddenly saying, "I don't like it." The Captain turned himself so that he faced away from Loki while still allowing him to sneak looks his way. Not that Loki seemed the least bit concerned with them.

Pushing down his own worries, Tony fell back on what was comfortable for him – snark. "What, Rock of Ages giving up so easily?"

"I don't remember it being that easy," Steve said. He snuck a look over his shoulder and then back to Tony's mask. "This guy packs a wallop."

 _You have no idea, Rogers_. Tony rolled his eyes behind the hidden comfort of his mask. "Still, you are pretty spry for an older fellow. What's your thing? Pilates?"

A furrow appeared between Steve's brows. He was practically radiating his confusion. "What?"

This was just too easy. Tony grinned, knowing it would seep into his voice and make his words all the more annoying. "It's like calisthenics. You might've missed a few things doing time as a Capsicle."

Seeing a vein in Steve's jaw twitch was more appealing than it probably should've been. Tony smirked, getting just a small amount of relief from distracting himself this way. He didn't need Captain fucking America to approve of him. Judging by how Steve looked at Tony, the confusion and annoyance that Tony knew could easily be twisted into outright anger, it made it clear that Tony had already made one hell of an impression. Steve apparently didn't like him and made no effort to hide it from him. "Fury didn't tell me he was calling you in."

"Yeah, there's a lot of things Fury doesn't tell you," Tony pointed out dryly. "Sort of goes with the whole 'super spy' shtick."

They were cut off when a massive rumble sounded all around them. It was so deep it practically vibrated the plane. Tony looked up just as a flash of lightning lit up the inside of the jet. Not even five seconds passed before there was another rumble, and then another one, and Tony felt his stomach drop. Up front, he heard Natasha murmuring, "Where's this coming from?"

That answer wasn't hard to find. Tony could feel the power that was building in the air; in the very storm itself. This wasn't just a natural storm jumping out at them. No, this was something else, something much more dangerous. Tony had felt the power of it plenty of times before and he recognized it quickly now. Behind his mask, his eyes went wide, and he felt his body lockdown in an instant. Just vaguely did he hear Steve asking Loki, "What's the matter? Are you scared of a little lightning?"

"I'm not overly fond of what follows," Loki answered slowly, still watching around him.

Everything seemed to happen in an instant. Something hit the quinjet hard, and Tony _knew_ what it was. He found himself frozen, unable to do a damn thing as the rear of the jet opened and his oldest brother came inside. Seeing Thor up close like this was almost harder than seeing Loki was. Because Tony knew that Loki wasn't in his right mind at the moment. It wasn't just him in there. But this? This was Thor in all his glory, Mjolnir in hand and his face lit up with a righteous fury that had panic curling in Tony's gut and his instincts screaming to _go, run, hide! Get out of here!_

But it wasn't Tony that Thor was here for. He strode right up to Loki and grabbed his throat, using that grip to yank him up and then hold tight as he propelled them out of the back of the jet.

It was their disappearance that finally kicked Tony into gear. Thor had looked furious – not at them, at _Loki_. If he didn't know that Loki was under some sort of control, if he'd only heard word from others about what was going on, it was no surprise that he was here to take Loki away. Tony couldn't let that happen. He couldn't allow Thor to bring Loki back home to face justice. Because, if Thor was anything like he used to be, that was undoubtedly what he'd do. He'd take Loki back to the Allfather. Not only that, but with Loki gone, the Tesseract would be hidden as well, and the people Loki had bent to his will would be either trapped or killed.

The logical part of Tony knew all of that and wanted to prevent it. But it was the more emotional part of him, the part that he'd tried so hard to bury for centuries now, that was screaming inside of Tony to get out there, to protect Loki, to keep him safe just as he'd vowed to do such a long, long time ago. It was a voice Tony couldn't ignore. He never could. No matter the kind of trouble it got Tony into, he'd always do anything he could to keep Loki safe.

Tony paid no attention to the shouting from Steve as he made his way to the still open hatch. In an instant, he was taking off straight into the storm.

* * *

Locating the two was easy. Tony didn't even need JARVIS to do it. All he had to do was follow the trail of magic as familiar to him as his own. Tony sent his suit towards it without any idea about what he was going to say or do. All he knew was that he'd do anything, _anything_ , to protect those he cared about. _All of them_. Not just Thor and Loki, though they ranked highest, but also others on this planet. That meant he had to stop Thor from taking Loki, he had to free Loki from whatever this control was, and he had to find the Tesseract. Even if it meant giving up everything else. _Oh, that's all, huh? Why not end world hunger while you're at it?_

When Tony finally found them, the two were standing on a cliff edge. Loki was tense, his magic pulsing in sickening waves all around him, and Thor was clutching his hammer and glaring.

If Tony could be sure that Loki wouldn't run, he would've slammed into Thor and taken him out of there, carried him away to talk. As it were, he didn't trust that Loki wouldn't run, or that whoever had hold over him wouldn't take him away. With that in mind, Tony dropped his suit down to land hard right behind Thor.

The force of his impact sent some rocks skittering and had both brothers turning to look. Tony straightened himself up and pasted on a grin even though he knew they couldn't see it. "Hey, boys. You know, you took something of mine back there, big guy. I'd kind of like him back."

Thor hefted his hammer and shifted himself down into a battle-ready stance that put him right between Tony and Loki. Behind him, Loki's blue eyes glittered with amusement. "Stay back," Thor said in warning. "You know not what you're dealing with. This is beyond you, metal man. Loki will face Asgardian justice."

A snort slipped free before Tony could stop it. _Some things never change_. "Yeah, well, pardon me if that doesn't exactly sooth my conscience, Point Break." He'd had a taste of 'Asgardian Justice,' and he wasn't going to let Loki suffer under that same fate. "Besides, seems pretty harsh for a guy who isn't exactly in his right mind anyway."

"Do you dare call my brother mad?" Thor's grip tightened on his Mjolnir, and he took a small step forward.

"Absolutely," Tony said, without hesitation, stunning the both of them. "But that's not the point here. Tell me, big guy, when you were yelling at your brother there, did you happen to take a look at his eyes?" He saw Thor startle at that, losing some of his tension to confusion, and there was a brief moment where he almost looked away. Only training kept Thor from turning his back on a potential threat. That was fine. Tony just grinned and casually added, "I hear Tesseract blue is all the rage in contacts this week."

That was it. That was all it took to get Thor to turn himself enough to look at Loki's eyes. For his part, Loki looked confused, even going so far as to step back when Thor grabbed him and pulled him in.

It was easy to see the instant that Thor realized what Tony knew. For all that he could act stupid sometimes, the giant lug _was_ smart. He pieced it together quickly and then spun back towards Tony, never letting go of Loki as he did. "What is this? What has taken my brother?"

Hearing those two words at the end had Tony wanting to cringe. Once more, he was grateful his suit kept both him and his seidr hidden. Protective runes hidden in the suit held his magic well hidden from anyone else. "My guess? Whatever it is that wants the Tesseract. The point here is that it's controlling him just as much as he's controlling the others. Isn't that right, Reindeer Games?"

Loki sneered at Tony over Thor's shoulder. There was a hint of fear that lurked in his face, though, for those that knew how to look. " _No one_ controls me."

 _Uh-oh_. There was only a second of warning for Tony to brace himself before he felt the flare of Loki's magic push out around him.

Whatever game Loki was playing by being caught, it was lost now, and Loki was ready to run. Tony couldn't let him do that. He called up his own seidr and cut the weaves of Loki's spell before he could teleport himself out of there.

It was apparent Loki hadn't expected that. Shock lit his face and his eyes. For a brief instant, a flash of green broke through the blue. Tony didn't get any time to think about it. It was gone as quick as it came and then Loki was snarling, and he blasted out raw power, sending Thor flying. Only a quickly thrown up shield allowed Tony to keep his feet. He had to throw up another one as power lashed out at him.

 _Protect, defend_ , those were the words Tony whispered to the magic inside him, and it spun out from him in ways that had always been almost as natural as breathing, right from the start. His shield held around him; around them _both_. It kept the two trapped there, and kept Thor out, while also preventing Loki from hurting Tony with any further magic attacks.

It did not, however, protect him against the physical.

The impact of Loki's leap sent the two of them toppling down to the ground. The suit made it hard to move as quickly as his brother did, which meant that Tony couldn't entirely dodge in time. They hit the ground hard, and it jolted Tony, stealing his breath for a moment. Only a moment, though. He pushed past it and brought his arms up, hands fighting to grab at Loki, just for Loki to catch them and shove hard, pinning Tony's wrists to the ground. The power that he'd taken from the Tesseract was making him stronger than Tony.

Nearby, Thor was shouting at them, and Tony could feel him trying to push in past the shields that Tony had put up, but it was no use.

"Who are you?" Loki snarled at him, his whole body pinning Tony to the ground. Again, that brief flash of green in the blue of his eyes, and that was twice now it'd happened. Twice in response to Tony and his magic.

A hazardous and risky plan built in Tony's mind. Whatever held Loki had to be strong. The odds of being able to take it on while it had a full hold on Loki were almost none. But in those brief moments with its grip weakened by Loki's shock? _That_ would be the best time to strike. He just had to shock Loki enough to weaken it – and there was only one way that Tony could think of to do that.

He sent up a brief prayer of apology and hope and then murmured "JARVIS, open the mask."

"Sir?"

Ignoring the worry in his AI's tone, Tony told him "Just do it."

A second later the mask was hissing open, and Tony stared face to face with Loki for the first time in a little over two hundred years. Their eyes met, just inches away from one another, and Tony deliberately let go of some of the illusion that hid him so that it would be his own eyes that Loki would see. Eyes that were swirling with the seidr he held right now. "Hey, Lolo. Long time no see."

Instead of the shock that Tony had expected, there was something else entirely – something he hadn't planned for.

Confusion.

Tony couldn't waste time thinking about it. He gathered up his magic and hoped with everything he had that, since his attempt to shock Loki hadn't worked, maybe his magic alone would be enough to jolt that control on Loki once more, making it easier for him to feed more magic in and _set Loki free._

With a softly whispered "I'm sorry" Tony let go of everything else and sent his power flooding into the body on top of him.

The feel of touching Loki's magic was pleasure and pain both in ways that Tony couldn't even begin to describe. It was like reaching out to a part of himself, one that had been missing for far too long, only to find that it was wrong. Different. There was something else there that shouldn't have been, and it was clinging to Loki with tentacles of dark light. The hold it had on Loki was even more insidious than Tony had thought it'd be, yet it also made things infinitely more manageable.

Whoever held him wasn't there with him, controlling him every second. No, it'd made a connection, one it could use to feed a spell that was whispering into Loki's mind, feeding him thoughts and ideas, taking his own emotions and twisting them into something else, something darker. It wasn't _controlling_ him. It'd only made him believe that this was the best and only way to act.

Unfortunately for whoever this was, there was no one out there who knew Loki's mind better than Tony. No matter how it'd changed, no matter the pain Tony saw in there, it was still _Loki_ under it all.

Tony threaded himself through every inch of his brother and let his power grow in ways he'd kept suppressed. He held nothing back as he poured himself into every single crevice, every nook and cranny of Loki, breaking contact between Loki and those little tendrils of magic with each piece he came across. Not all the parts wanted to let go. Some snapped like delicate lace; others fought him, digging in even as he pushed them away.

When whatever it was realized what Tony was doing, it tried to push in along the connection, tried to flood its way in and take them _both_ , and Tony threw in even more power. He wasn't strong enough to fight head-on, he knew. Whatever this was, it was _powerful_.

But he'd almost forgotten – he wasn't alone.

Loki's power threaded together with his as quickly as clasping hands. Together, the two _pushed_ , and Tony fed every last bit of magic he had into Loki's mind until he heard a furious howl and the connection broke with a _snap_.

A quick look suggested it was gone. Tony didn't trust it; he dug deeper, looking all around, and Loki didn't stop him. His magic rode with Tony's, the two of them searching, never letting one another go as they did until finally, Tony was sure that Loki's mind was his own once more. Only then did he finally draw himself back.

As soon as Tony's power was back in his body once more, he realized just how much he'd used. He'd taken almost all the energy he had and put it into freeing Loki. Letting go of Loki's power, which had been keeping him steady, left Tony dizzy and nauseous. Still, despite how hard it was, Tony made himself open his eyes. Though he knew Loki's mind was clear, he had to look, had to _see_.

And he did. The very first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was the bright green of Loki's eyes staring down at him. There was that confusion again, written easily in his eyes and on the lines that built in his forehead. Then Loki opened his mouth and said the words that cut straight into Tony's heart, past the last defenses he had. "Who are you?"

Tony swore he felt his heart break, just a little. He opened his mouth – to say what, he wasn't sure – but found he couldn't speak. Whatever words he might've said caught in his throat and he was too exhausted to try and push them out.

The world wavered around him. Tony didn't try and fight it. Heart aching, he let his eyes drift closed, ignoring the sound of a worried voice calling out to him as he allowed the darkness to swallow him.


	3. Chapter 3

Tony woke to the sound of JARVIS speaking low and steady to him. It was a tone that his AI often took after nightmares, or if Tony had to wake up somewhere unfamiliar. "…the back of a SHIELD quinjet. We are eight minutes away from the Helicarrier where Director Fury and Agent Coulson are awaiting our arrival," JARVIS was telling him. A calm recitation of facts, answering questions before Tony would even think to ask them. "Your suit is intact and has not been breached. I've informed the others that you are well, simply unconscious, and they've loaded you into the jet to take you with them to SHIELD. Thor Odinson is seated to your right, near your head, with Loki in the seat on his left. Loki's vitals are strong and steady, and his eyes have remained green this entire time. To your left, also near your head, is Captain Steve Rogers. Agent Romanoff is flying the jet with Agent Johnson as her copilot…"

The steadying words washed over Tony and took away the edge that came from waking up after being unconscious. Listening to JARVIS grounded Tony in the here and now. He wasn't waking up in a cage, or pinned to the ground, or in a cave. He was inside the Iron Man suit, and he was in the back of the quinjet. More than that, he knew everyone who was around him.

That knowledge allowed Tony to lay there for a moment and let his body gradually wake on its own. He took the time to look inwards and try and assess the damage.

By the Norns, he _ached_. Tony had spent most of the seidr inside of him in saving Loki. What little that was left was barely enough to call up his usual illusion. The only real reason he could was the power reserves he kept in the arc reactor. Using that would help him keep the illusion up without straining himself. However, he wasn't going to manage much else magically for at _least_ a day. Preferably after a few big meals and a good night's sleep.

"How long I been out, J?" Tony mumbled, his voice low and hoarse.

Though JARVIS would deny it, Tony swore he heard his AI sigh. "Forty-two minutes, sir. Loki was unconscious for twenty-seven minutes, having passed out directly after you."

Huh. No real surprise, that. It made sense that it would've knocked Loki out, too. While it'd taken most of Tony's energy, it'd all be done _inside_ Loki's head. That was bound to be draining. At least he was up. That was more than Tony could say for himself right now. Really, it was more than he wanted to say for himself in the future, too. "You think I could get away with just laying here until they all go away?"

"Unfortunately, sir, that is highly unlikely. They've already gone to the effort to transport you, suit and all, onto the jet. I doubt they'll be willing to leave you here."

"That's what I was afraid of." Sighing, Tony closed his eyes. He wasn't ready to wake up and face the rest of them yet. The only thing that had saved him so far was that JARVIS had control of the suit and he wasn't broadcasting their conversation to anyone nearby. Between Tony's tech and the magic of the suit, no one would be able to hear what they were saying, either. Not even with magical help. That meant that Tony was free to lay here just a little bit longer and try to sort himself out.

One thing came to mind, and it was the one thing he really didn't want to think about. Not that he had a choice. _Loki hadn't recognized him._ Tony blinked his eyes a few times and then stared up at the eye slits in front of him. The HUD display wasn't on at the moment. The light it would cast on his eyes would be a giveaway he was awake, and Tony didn't want that right yet. "My illusion fell at the end, didn't it? He saw _me_."

"Indeed, sir," JARVIS confirmed for him. "Every last bit of your illusion fell away. When facing Loki, you were your true self. I sensed no recognition on his face. Though the way he responded to your seidr would suggest that at least some part of him recognized and responded to you."

So why hadn't the rest of him? Hel, the touch of Tony's seidr alone should've been enough to identify him to Loki! Why hadn't it been? Why hadn't Loki recognized him?

"Sir, we're approaching the Helicarrier."

Crap. He was out of time to think. Tony had no idea what he was going to do here. He drew in a shaky breath and blew it back out carefully. "All right. Start bringing systems back online. Time to wake up, I guess." He wasn't going to be carried onto the Helicarrier. There was no way in Hel he was letting them get him and his suit somewhere that they might be able to scan it.

The sound of his suit booting back up drew the attention of the others. As the HUD kicked on, Tony was able to see around him and watch the faces of the others all turn towards him as his suit came back to life. Thor was watching him with open curiosity, Loki with a blank expression, and Steve seemed to light up a little. It was Steve who spoke up first as Tony's suit booted up and he pushed himself up into a sitting position. "Mr. Stark! You're awake! How're you feeling? Are you all right?"

"I feel like I got hit by a bus or twelve," Tony grumbled. His whole body ached just from sitting up. Still, he pushed even more, one hand bracing on the ground as he twisted himself in an attempt to get back up.

Thor moved forward to grab hold of the arm of his suit. With one tug, he got Tony up and on his feet a whole lot faster than he would've managed on his own. He was barely on his feet before Thor was clapping his hand on Tony's opposite arm, beaming broadly at him as he did. "I am glad to see you well, Man of Iron!"

Just barely did Tony manage to keep his feet from Thor's little love tap. He didn't quite manage to smother his groan, though.

From behind Tony, there was a sound like shifting leather, something that Tony was surprised to realize he still recognized so quickly, and then Loki's almost bored sounding voice. "I'm sure he would like to stay that way, Thor. Perhaps you should refrain from trying to knock him back down to the ground."

"You should all sit down," Natasha called back to them. "We're about to come in for a landing."

Tony did his best to pretty much avoid the gaze of everyone as they finally came in to land. The more awake and alert he became, the more frantically he was searching to try and find something to be able to tell everyone. He was going to be expected to give answers of some sort. Tony highly doubted that either Thor or Loki had thought to hide what Tony had done. They wouldn't think about Tony's powers being a secret that needed to be protected. Knowing Thor, he'd probably blurted it out to the others right away, explaining that Tony had removed an influence of some sort from Loki's mind. That meant that Fury would know now, too, and he wasn't going to be shy about demanding answers.

What answers Tony gave were going to be dependent on finding out a few things, though. Namely… had Loki's confusion been a thing caused by his mind being so screwed up at that moment? Or was it something else? Tony couldn't figure out what to do about himself until he knew the answer to that.

Tony's thoughts felt like they were twisting round and round as he tried to figure things out or plan ahead. It continued on through their landing and even as they were taken inside the Helicarrier. Natasha led the way, with Thor and Loki behind her, and Steve and Tony taking up the rear. They were escorting them almost like prisoners. Or, Natasha and Steve were. Tony wasn't stupid enough to believe any of them stood a chance at stopping them if these two wanted to leave.

Natasha led them down a hallway and finally through the doors of what Tony would bet was a conference room of some kind.

He saw the others startle in front of him and heard a sharp gasp from Loki that was only barely muffled. Tony broke from his own thoughts to straighten up, his body suddenly held at the ready. He ignored Steve and stepped into the room after his brothers, only to find… _ohh_.

Nick Fury stood near the head of a long conference table, but it wasn't him that held the attention of the others. A guy was standing to his left that Tony recognized, someone that he could admit he was more than a little eager to meet. Dr. Bruce Banner was standing behind a chair, arms resting on the back of it, and looking more than a little nervous. It wasn't him that held the attention of the others, though. It was the blond guy sitting in the chair next to Nick, who Tony had only ever seen in files – Clint Barton. The SHIELD agent that Loki had taken under control with his scepter. He was here, calmly kicked back in his chair, feet up on the table, and his eyes a pale blue that no longer glowed with the power of the Tesseract.

Instead of looking bothered by their presence, the guy was grinning at them. He didn't even _flinch_ at seeing Loki. His eyes drifted over them all and then landed on Natasha. According to SHIELD files, these two were close, and they often worked together. Tony could see it now as Clint beamed at her. "Hey, Nat. Took you long enough."

"How did you get here so quickly?" Natasha demanded.

For a brief moment Clint's eyes slanted over to Loki, and there was a sharper light there, only it was more contemplative than dangerous. Then he brought his eyes back to Natasha. "Once the mind-control broke, I made straight for here. Selvig's down the hall with the doctors still. I convinced Fury to let me in here."

"Only because I want some damn answers," Nick said. He had his arms crossed over his chest, and he was glaring at them all. "Now that we're all here, I want someone to explain to me what happened back there, and why our prisoner is now standing here like a part of the team."

That was all well and good, and Tony knew they needed answers, but he needed answers, too. With a deep breath to prepare himself, Tony stepped back so his back was against the wall and then gave orders to open the suit. Everyone looked over as Tony stepped out of his suit. Tony kept his eyes straight on Nick, though. "What about the Tesseract?"

Nick hesitated only a second before he answered. "Secure."

Something told Tony that was the best they were going to get. For now, at least. That was fine. He'd get all the information he needed on his own. JARVIS was already deep enough in the SHIELD systems there was no way they'd be able to get him out without completely dismantling everything and starting from the ground up. Plus, Tony had been deliberate in bringing his suit in here, and it wasn't just for safety reasons. He knew his AI would be watching and recording the entire conversation that happened here. They'd be able to go over it later and take a look at things.

For now, Tony continued to ignore the others in the room. So far no one had said anything about him stepping out of the suit. He was feeling the air carefully, and there didn't seem to be anything coming from Loki or Thor. No pulse in Loki's magic that would give away any sort of emotion. Tony wasn't sure if that was because they had already recognized him and figured things out, or if they still didn't recognize him, or if maybe they hadn't even looked at him. Really, he wasn't sure he wanted to know. So he settled for ignoring them for the moment and heading towards the only person in the room he was all that happy to meet.

Tony smiled broadly as he made his way over to Bruce Banner. The guy looked surprised that Tony was coming towards him; even more so when Tony stuck a hand out to him. Yet there was a little crinkle at the edges of his eyes and a ghost of a smile when Tony shook his hand and told him "It's good to meet you, Dr. Banner." Then it was Tony's turn to flash a grin. "Your work on anti-electron collisions is unparalleled. And I'm a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster."

He watched Bruce twitch a little at being called out on that so openly. Sharp eyes ran over Tony's face, curious, assessing. Whatever Bruce saw there had that small smile coming back, though it was a bit more nervous than before. "Thanks."

When Tony turned back to face the room, everyone was finally inside, and the door was shut. There was a quiet conversation going on between Natasha and Barton that Tony ignored for the moment – he'd figure it out from surveillance later if he needed – and Steve seemed to have set himself up as a guard at the door. Loki and Thor stood off to the side, and Tony had to force himself to turn and face them. There was no more putting this off. He had to _see_. He had to know.

Almost instantly he found a pair of bright green eyes staring right at him. Tony made himself casually stuff his hands down into his pockets just so he wouldn't be able to fiddle with them and give away his nerves even more.

Loki was staring at Tony, watching him with a gaze that was both curious and assessing… and without a single hint of recognition in their depths. The way he was watching Tony was something that Tony had seen countless times in the past. It was a look that said that Loki was assessing someone, deciding whether they were a threat, a potential enemy, a potential ally, or someone he could use. There was nothing in that look that said he recognized Tony at all.

When Tony shifted his gaze to Thor, he found the other god was scanning the room, periodically glancing back at Loki as if to check that he was still there. When his eyes passed over Tony, their gazes caught for a moment and Thor gave him a small nod, and then went back to looking around the room.

Thor didn't recognize him either. Neither one of them did.

That stole the breath out of Tony's chest. For a moment he swore he couldn't breathe. He'd tried to prepare himself for any sort of reaction they might give to him. Their rage, their fear, their pain, their disgust. Any of those. But… indifference? Lack of recognition? Tony had no idea how to handle that.

He ended up doing the only thing he could do – the only thing Tony really knew how to do – and he shoved all of it as far down as possible. Long-time practice had taught him how to bury his emotions to be dealt with later. Right now, they had more important things going on.

As if to remind them all of that, Nick brought them all firmly back on topic. "All right, everyone, _sit down_. Someone's gonna start giving me answers, right now. Starting with why the hell public enemy number one is standing here like he's one of the team!"

Tony moved as casually as he could, making his way back down towards the end of the table. It put him closer to his suit and further away from Fury. As he did, Thor moved towards the side of the table, a hand on Loki's shoulder making sure that his brother stayed with him. "My brother was under control of another. His actions here were not his own."

"You expect us just to believe that?"

They were all surprised when Clint suddenly spoke up. "It makes sense, sir." His eyes went to Loki once more, watching him cautiously, and… was that sympathy? "The scepter, it didn't take over our minds completely. It just made us all… want to obey. But I was still me. And I remember watching you, trying to figure out what was going on, because 'serving' you, in my head, equaled protection, too, and it wasn't hard to see someone was hurting you."

Loki looked stunned by Clint's words. He opened his mouth just a little as if to say something, only to close it once more when words failed him. There were nightmares in his eyes that had Tony aching to reach out and take his hand.

No one said anything for a moment as they all settled down into their seats. Nick and Tony were at opposite ends of the table, staring one another down, with Bruce on Nick's left and Clint on his right. Natasha was by Clint, of course, and Steve between Natasha and Tony, which left Thor and Loki in the spots between Bruce and Tony.

Things didn't get the chance to be awkward for long. Nick was watching Tony intently, and that look made it clear that he'd undoubtedly obtained a report from Natasha. He wasn't going to let Tony out of here without some sort of answers about what happened. "I hear we got you to thank for this miraculous rescue, Stark."

 _Here it comes_. "You know me, Fury." Smirking, Tony kicked back in his chair and spread his hands out on either side of him, palms up. "Always ready to be a hero."

The look of disgust on Nick's face was more amusing than it probably should've been. The guy was barely holding in his sneer. "All right then, _hero_. Maybe you could explain to us how exactly you managed to pull this off. Cause last I checked, there are only a few humans who have magic, and last I knew, you weren't one of them."

That brought every pair of eyes over to Tony. This here was the moment that everyone was waiting for, he knew. Even Thor and Loki were watching him now. No one was stepping up to say anything; they all waited, silent, for what he had to say next. Tony kept his smile in place despite the fear that clenched his stomach down. There were only a few options he was faced with right now. Some of his plans had been scrapped the instant he realized his brothers didn't recognize him. But he quickly cycled through his other options before finally settling on the best one.

Oh-so-carefully Tony reached out to the illusion he held around himself. A moment later, part of it faded, while other parts were changed. He allowed his pointed ears to show once more, and the features of his face to smooth out slightly. It made his eyes a bit bigger and brighter, twinkling with bits of silver in them, and he knew it all made him look young. But, he didn't allow the scars to show through, and he didn't let himself settle into his usual, slightly tanned skin tone. While that wouldn't be enough to really give him away, so to speak, he didn't want any chance of a connection to be picked up by Heimdall or anyone else who might be watching Thor. With that in mind, Tony thought of some of the elves he'd met on Alfheim, and he borrowed just a bit from them, turning his skin pale as moonlight.

When he looked up again, he found surprise on most of the faces around him. Thor was openly gaping. "You are an elf."

At his side, Loki looked both more suspicious and yet like he understood so much more. It was a discomforting look to have turned his way.

 _This is for the best,_ Tony reminded himself. If his brothers didn't recognize him, it had to be for a reason. A couple hundred years wasn't enough for them to forget his face, or for Loki to be unable to remember the feel of Tony's magic. There was something else at play here. Later, Tony would take the time to figure it out – there was a voice inside that was screaming at him that he already knew the answer, but he pushed it away – but for now, he needed to keep himself at least somewhat hidden. Whatever had caused his brothers to forget him, he couldn't push his luck. Nor did he really want either of them to go home and end up describing him to the Allfather in a way that would bring his attention down on Tony.

"I am," Tony said, answering Thor's comment even though it hadn't really been a question. He let his eyes slide over most of the people at the table before finally drifting back to Nick. He didn't need to look at the shocked faces of the others. "And I've always had magic. Just, not the kind the people here on earth would recognize. Theirs is good, but – mine's better."

"Who are you?" Nick asked him.

"You know who I am," Tony shot back. "That hasn't changed. I've just got more of a history than you realized."

While the others chewed on that, Thor leaned forward, looking both concerned and confused. "Why is an elf on earth impersonating a human?"

Wait a second, what? Tony's eyebrows shot up. Was he serious right now? That was what they were thinking? "Impers… oh, sweet fucking Christ." Annoyance colored Tony's voice. Rolling his eyes, he slumped back a little in his chair and glared over at Thor. "I'm not _impersonating_ anyone! This is _me_." He brought a hand up and clapped it against his chest right over the arc reactor. "This is who I am! Tony Stark isn't just some poor sap I took over or made up. It's been me the entire time."

"How is that possible?" Natasha asked him. She didn't look as upset as the others. Either she really wasn't, or she was just that good at hiding it. It could've been either one.

Here was where things were going to get tricky for Tony. This had to be done very, very carefully.

"A spell," Tony told them. He crossed one leg over the other and swayed his chair back and forth a little, projecting an image of relaxation that was nowhere near what he really felt. "A powerful, tricky spell, geared to give a kid to a family who'd been working hard on trying to conceive. Think of it like my own personal rebirth." In quite the literal sense.

Only one person in here understood anything about what that spell might be. Loki's eyebrows went up in a subtle display of surprise. "That would be quite an immense undertaking." The way he watched Tony said he was reassessing him, adding in this information to the rest of what he knew so far.

Tony gave a shrug that was more of a twitch than anything else. He only let himself glance at Loki for a moment before his eyes drifted away. "I needed to start over. It was a risk I was willing to take."

"Why?" Steve asked. It was the first time he'd spoken up since the interrogation had started.

"I was… I was banished from my home." Tony said flatly. Those words hurt to say, even after all this time. They hurt so damn much to think about. His tone made that clear, just as it made clear how unwilling he was to say more.

Of course, he should've known that they wouldn't respect that. Why would they? SHIELD wasn't exactly known for respecting any sort of boundaries. "Why were you banished?" Nick asked.

Glaring at the other man, Tony snapped, "Is that any of your business?"

Nick met him glare for glare. "It is if it means you're a threat to my planet."

"A threat?" Tony couldn't help himself – he barked out a laugh. "You actually have the balls to sit there and ask if I'm a threat to your planet, Fury? Me, the guy who just came in here and blew his secret to Kingdom Come just to remove the mind control from this guy so the planet _wouldn't_ be destroyed?" Tony jerked his thumb over at Loki without even looking his way. Snorting, he dropped his hand back down and shook his head at the idiocy of these people. "Yeah, sure, I can see how you got that idea. Bravo. Ten points for the super spy."

The tension in the room climbed a little higher. The air felt electric; ready to spark and blow at the slightest provocation. There was no telling what might've happened if someone hadn't spoken up and brought them all back on track. "I think we've got a bigger threat to worry about at the moment," Bruce interjected, making himself one of Tony's favorite people in the room. The quiet man was sitting up, looking nervous as focus turned his way, yet determined. "I mean, as interesting as it is that we've got another alien in the room, I'm a bit more worried about the one that was mind controlling someone into taking the Tesseract. What exactly was the plan here?"

Bruce's words brought their attention back to what was important here. Tony, along with everyone else, turned to look at Loki. The mage didn't allow himself to shift underneath their stares. If anything, he drew himself up more, chin tilting up ever so slightly in a pose that Tony had seen so many times when Loki was facing a group he didn't want to. It had happened plenty of times when he'd gone up against someone who sought to mock the prince, or when they were sneering at him. Loki would tilt his chin up and adopt that serene expression of his that let nothing show through.

He wore it now as he sat in front of them and slowly, carefully, began a tale that made Tony sick to his stomach.

With calm, cold words, Loki told them of falling from the Bifrost and landing in the Void – Tony had to fight to keep hold of his magic at that, to not let it rage around him at the horror of what his brother had gone through – and about being pulled out by a being he hadn't known. When he spoke of what came after, the torture that they'd put him through, it wasn't just Tony who looked tense. There was something about the stark simplicity of Loki's words that added a believability to them. No one could deny the pain that shone clearly in his eyes. Not even the flatness of his voice was enough to disguise the horror of what he'd gone through.

Eventually, after talk of torture the likes of which had Tony wanting to hurl, Loki told them of the control that had been put over him – and what they'd planned for him to do. "Their plan was a simple one," Loki said, dusting some invisible piece of dust off his knee. He looked as calm as if he were discussing the weather. "They wanted me to get the Tesseract and use it to open a portal, through which an army of Chitauri would flood the earth. Under the control of the Other, a being loyal to the Mad Titan, the Chitauri would slaughter the people of this planet in tribute – a gift from the Mad Titan to his lady-love."

 _The Mad Titan_. Tony knew who that was – all of Asgard knew who that was. They knew the threat of Thanos and the damage he caused wherever he went. The being truly was mad; he murdered endlessly, killing to create gifts for his love, Mistress Death. If he were trying to come _here_ … the implications of that were horrifying. Tony couldn't speak past the knot in his throat that was the only thing keeping the contents of his stomach still inside. _Oh, Loki, fuck, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry I wasn't there!_ All the things that Loki had gone through. Would it have been different if Tony had been there? Would he have been able to save his brother from that kind of pain?

Tony was still fighting to keep it under control when Steve spoke up. "So this Thanos character, he wanted to come to earth and just, kill everyone? That was his plan?"

"No," Loki said, shaking his head. "As I said, he planned to send me here to retrieve the Tesseract for him. Once he had that, the planet was to be taken over and put under my rule, which would essentially put it under his. However, the Tesseract was the most important part of his plan."

Of course it was. That only made things worse, though. Because that meant that Thanos was trying to gather up things that were far too risky for him to have. Things that could end up with more than just Earth being destroyed. _Fuck_. "We need to get the Tesseract off-world." They had to. There was no way it could stay here. "It won't stop him from coming here for it, but if we can't fight him off, we can't risk it being here for him to get. It needs to be somewhere secure. There's no way we can let him get his hands on it."

"The Tesseract is the property of Asgard, and as such, will be taken back there," Thor's voice was firm. There was an air about him that hadn't been there the last time Tony had seen him. This wasn't the spoiled prince anymore. No, Thor had found something in himself. Or perhaps, more accurately, _outside_ himself. Tony looked at him as Thor sat up straight and, for the first time, he truly saw the king his oldest brother could be. "In Asgard's vaults, we can keep it safe and protected."

There was an almost immediate argument from Nick at that. Tony didn't bother paying attention. He knew that Thor was going to walk out of here with the Tesseract in hand. There was no way Odin would allow it to remain here on earth. Especially not if others were coming after it. No, it was definitely going home with Thor, so Tony saw no reason to try and argue about it. Instead, his brain was focusing on things that were actually important.

Without Loki and the Tesseract, would the Chitauri still come for the earth, or would they be waiting at some point in space for a portal that was never going to happen? The second option seemed most likely. If they needed Loki to make a portal for them to get there, that had to mean that they weren't nearby, so they wouldn't be able to just come down and invade when it became evident that plans hadn't worked out. That was good. That gave them time to think and plan.

Which was precisely what they needed to do. Saving Loki and stopping the invasion plans had only succeeded in delaying the inevitable. Eventually, Thanos _would_ come for them, and they needed to be ready.

* * *

The argument about the Tesseract took a lot longer than Tony liked. He tried to be patient and wait it out, knowing what the inevitable end result would be. But it was hard to keep his mouth shut as more of the room got involved in things. Natasha, unsurprisingly, was on Nick's side, insisting that this was too dangerous a weapon to let fall into anyone else's hands. Steve was trying to declare that it was too dangerous for _anyone_ , SHIELD included. Bruce and Clint were both quiet about things. Meanwhile, Thor was steady and firm that the Tesseract was going to be leaving with him. To Thor, it wasn't a debate. It was a simple statement of fact.

Tony looked up at one point and found that Loki was watching him, not even bothering to be discreet. The mage had his head tilted ever so slightly and one eyebrow lifted.

Deliberately, Tony looked away.

He found himself drawn back into the conversation when Thor loudly declared "Enough!" The booming of his voice worked to silence the entire room. Only when all eyes were on him did he speak again, his voice lower this time though no less powerful. "The Tesseract shall return to Asgard. We are not debating this any further. Loki and I will take it there…"

"Oh, no," Loki interjected immediately. He threw off watching Tony to turn and face Thor. A sneer was already curling his lips. "I am not stepping foot back in Asgard. You know what waits for me there. I will not willingly walk to it."

Thor looked pained. "Brother…"

A furious hiss came from Loki. "I am _not_ your brother!"

Oh, the pain of those words. Tony felt them almost as acutely as he imagined Thor did. It hurt, too, to watch the way that Thor jerked back as if he'd been slapped. He didn't let it stop him, though. "Loki, please. Come with me. We shall take the Tesseract to Father and explain to him what has happened. I'm sure Father will agree with me that what you endured is more than punishment enough. Come _home_ , Loki."

Tony had to close his eyes against the ache that gripped his heart. So many times he'd longed desperately to hear those words directed at him. To have someone come to him and offer comfort, offer for him to _come back home_. There were times he'd wished for it with absolute desperation. Other times – other times he'd laughed at the idea of it, much like Loki was now.

"Come home?" The sneer on Loki's face grew more prominent. "Asgard is no longer my home. If you think for one minute that your father would take my word of what transpired, you are an even bigger fool than I believed."

"Perhaps if the Man of Iron can be convinced to come with us…"

Instantly, Tony was sitting up in his chair, eyes wide and protests already falling from his lips. "Oh, no, no, no. No way, Hercules. There's no way I'm stepping foot anywhere _near_ Asgard. You just get that idea out of your head right now. I'm not leaving earth."

The puppy-dog eyes that Thor gave him should've been illegal. It wasn't fair that that look had managed to survive the years and still be as potent as it had when they were children. "Not even if it were to save the life of another?"

There was no way Thor could know just how close to home those words hit. Because Tony knew, if it really were a matter of saving Loki's life, he'd go. He'd go to Asgard with them and accept whatever punishment came his way afterward. But this – this wouldn't do anything to save him. Even if Tony went there and told the Allfather what happened, his words wouldn't be any more believed than Loki's. All it would do would earn him the death sentence he hadn't received the last time.

Tony slouched down in his seat and tapped his fingers against his knee as he flashed a grin at Thor. "I don't think it really matters, turbo, considering your buddy there is pretty adamant he's not going back. So! Looks like that job gets to fall to you. You can take your precious Tesseract back to Asgard and explain to the All-Daddy what's going on, and the rest of us here can try and figure out how we're going to stop the future alien invasion." Tilting his head, Tony looked over at the rest of them. "I mean, that is the plan, right? Stopping aliens from killing us seems pretty high on the importance list."

The way that Nick looked at him had Tony feeling like he'd just done something the old man approved of. It gave him the feeling of being used for something he wasn't entirely sure of. That feeling only grew as Nick nodded his head at him. "Stark is right. This right here is exactly why the Avengers Initiative was created. So that we could have a group of people trained to take on the threats the rest of the planet can't."

"You think that any of you actually stand a chance against him?" Loki asked, voice mocking. He looked around at them all disbelievingly, as if he couldn't believe that any of them were serious about this.

Nick didn't even blink. "I think we're damn well-gonna try. As of right now, I'm officially activating the Avengers Initiative. This 'Mad Titan' just became a top priority. We need to be ready, no matter when this guy comes. You all need to train and get yourselves ready for whatever comes our way. With that in mind, SHIELD has a facility not too far from here you guys can use. You'll all have your own rooms and plenty of space to train in, and we'll establish you a handler to help oversee everything and make sure we're as prepared as we can possibly be."

All the little pieces were on the board now, and it wasn't hard for Tony to see what was happening here. He could see what Nick was trying to do and he admired the guy for it just a little bit, even as he wanted to punch him in the face. "Oh, bullshit."

Nick shot him a dry look. "Excuse me?"

Stupid spies and their stupid plans. If there was one thing that Tony hated, it was realizing he'd been maneuvered into something. That realization now had him narrowing his eyes at the asshole across the table. He had to hand it to Nick – it was neatly done. Nick had lined everything up, and there was no real choice for Tony in how to respond, despite knowing that it was precisely what Nick wanted. Rolling his eyes, he sighed and gave Nick his most annoyed look. "We both know you don't have a place for us, just like we both know I wouldn't go there even if you did. I'm not going to stay in a SHIELD bugged facility so you can study us like a bunch of lab rats, Fury."

"You got any better ideas, hot shot?" Nick fired back.

"Than yours? Thousands, and that's before I've even had coffee." When that just got him a small, barely-there smile, Tony knew it was time for the games to be over. If they were going to do this than they were going to do this on Tony's terms. " _Fine_. Until I figure out something better, the Avengers can come set up shop in my tower. It's not like I don't have space." He could almost feel Nick's smugness from here. Before the guy could get too pleased with himself, Tony held up a finger. "But! If the Avengers are going to be based out of my tower, we're going to iron out a few details first."

"What kind of details?"

A shark's grin curved Tony's lips. Leaning forward, he folded his arms on the table and laced his fingers together. "Let's talk terms, Fury."

* * *

By the time the group walked out of the conference room, Tony was rather pleased with himself. While having the Avengers living with him wasn't the most ideal of situations, it did make logical sense for them to stick close together and train together to try and prepare for what was coming. However, that didn't mean that he was going to just give in without getting _some_ concessions from Fury. They had the beginnings of a beautiful contract between them now – one that Tony had already forwarded along to Pepper and his lawyer both to have them take a look at. Once everything was dealt with and finalized, and signatures were added, they'd be good to go.

In the meantime, as a show of good faith, Tony was taking the team back to his tower with him to get them set up. Tony had no doubt that Nick would sign the contract no matter what changes Tony put in it. They might not like one another, but that didn't mean that they both couldn't recognize the need to work with each other. There was quite a lot that Tony brought to the table. His money alone was probably a huge motivator. Having him fund the Avengers Initiative was likely one of the main reasons Nick had even contemplated adding Tony to the team at all. None of that even touched on his ability to fund and make weapons for them.

That thought made Tony's stomach twist just a bit. Making the weapons in his suit was one thing. Agreeing to make weapons for the other Avengers, weapons that could potentially be used against something different than an alien threat… he wasn't sure how he felt about that. He'd agreed to look over and upgrade their tech as need be. He and Nick both knew what that really meant, though. Because Tony didn't trust tech that wasn't his. If it were bad enough, he'd scrap it and make his own.

Nothing in the contract said _when_ he had to make it, though. Tony had been very clear about wording things just right so that it read as him making weapons for them to fight against Thanos and the alien threat. Nowhere in there did it say he had to make weapons for anything else. Legally, he'd be well within his rights to make the weapons and keep them put away until the final battle came.

The feel of seidr drew Tony from his thoughts. He turned to find that Loki had exited the room with him, though none of the others had followed. The mage was standing by the now closed door. As Tony turned to him, he found Loki giving him an appraising look. There was a hint of approval lurking in his eyes. "That was skillfully done."

 _I learned from the best,_ sat on the tip of Tony's tongue. Just barely did he manage to hold it back. "Thanks."

Tilting his head a little, Loki watched Tony's face with a barely concealed intensity. "You don't like these people."

"Now that's not entirely true."

"You don't trust them," Loki amended.

"Now _that's_ true." There was no way Tony was going to be stupid enough to trust a room full of people he barely knew. Nick Fury was the consummate spy; he lied as naturally as breathing. Likely, working for SHIELD, Natasha and Clint would be the same. Steve, well… there was history there. Tony's second childhood hadn't fared much better than his first in certain ways. He'd still been second best to someone bigger and stronger than he was. There was too much love in Tony for him to be truly mad at Thor for it. Steve, however? He was an easy target. As for Bruce, he was the one in the bunch that Tony actually felt like he might be able to both like _and_ trust.

The way that Loki was watching him, it had Tony wanting to fidget. There was an assessing light in those eyes – eyes that still showed no recognition as they looked at him. Seeing that kind of distant calculation from someone who had once been his entire world threw Tony off his game enough that he didn't piece things together. Not until Loki said it and it was put right out there in front of Tony. "You do not trust them, yet you're willing to not only work with them but live with them as well, all to stop the Mad Titan. You are willing to put aside your differences for what I believe humans call the 'greater good.'"

"Yes…?" Tony drew the word out a little, eyebrows furrowing down. Where was Loki going with this?

"I would like to offer you the same deal." That was the last thing Tony had expected to hear, and yet the first thing he _should_ have expected. His surprise had him going still, simply watching as Loki straightened up and focused more fully on him. His brother threw his shoulders back and lifted his chin once more. "I have knowledge of both the Titan and his minions that might prove profitable for you. I'm willing to offer you my knowledge and my skills against him."

"What's the catch?" There was always a catch. In any deal, there was always a catch, and especially when making a deal with the god of Mischief.

Loki's eyes betrayed a small flash of amusement. He folded his hands in front of him and smiled. "I'm willing to make this deal with _you_ , Anthony Stark. Not SHIELD, not the Avengers – you."

Woah. Tony knew he'd lost a bit of composure; he could feel his mouth fall open just the slightest bit. What Loki was offering him here was a big deal. A deal between the two of them – two beings with magic – was a lot more binding than any contract that Tony could make with SHIELD. Either side would be compelled to keep their word.

Part of Tony wanted to deny it instantly. The idea of having to be around Loki, _work_ with him, was agonizing. To see him over and over again, talk with him, work with him, fight at his side, while all the while Loki wouldn't have a clue who he was really working with, it would be the worst kind of pain. Not to mention the danger it would put Tony in. If the Allfather came after Loki, or if Heimdall was watching, there was a chance that they'd see Tony and they'd _know_. What would happen then? Even thinking of what the Allfather might do had Tony wanting to shudder.

On the other hand… Tony couldn't deny the appeal of this. Loki would be a damn good ally in this war. And it would be war, there was no mistaking that. Having him on their side could really help. Loki was smart, powerful, and a brilliant strategist. Having him on their team would raise their chances at actually winning.

Tony knew he'd trust no one more than his brothers to have his back in a fight. The question here was: was having Loki on their side work the risk?

This time it was Tony who stood and studied Loki. He searched his face, trying to read what he could there. It wasn't as easy as it'd once been. This Loki didn't know him, didn't trust him. He wasn't going to be as open with Tony. His masks were in place. Yet, Tony hoped he still knew him well enough to read him even with those. "You know at least a little bit about who and what I am," Tony said slowly. "You know I've got magic. Any deal we make is going to bind the both of us. You're willing to do that without knowing anything about me?"

"Our deal will bind you just as much as it does me," Loki pointed out. He smirked at Tony. "I believe you will find I'm a much more skillful negotiator than your Director in there."

 _Don't do this_ , a voice whispered in the back of Tony's mind. _Don't hurt yourself like this. Don't put yourself through this. Don't do it!_

A broad smile stretched Tony's lips. He stuffed his hands down into his pockets and rocked on his heels. "This is gonna be fun. Come on, Prancer. Let's head back to my place, have a few drinks, and iron out the details."

* * *

Inside the conference room, there were sounds of surprise as the Iron Man suit suddenly vanished.


	4. Chapter 4

No one was all that happy with their sudden disappearance from the Helicarrier. Tony had expected that. He had JARVIS ignore any of their attempts to contact him while he and Loki settled into one of the conference rooms in the tower and began the long and somewhat entertaining process of trying to iron out their own contract separate from SHIELD. Dealing with Loki was a pleasure and a trial all rolled into one. Tony had to continuously remind himself that he was playing a part here; that he had to treat this like they had never met before. That was indeed how Loki saw it. It wasn't easy, though.

By the time it was all said and done, they had the details of their contract ironed out, down to the very smallest detail. Everything they could both think of was included. It was much more in-depth than Tony's contract with SHIELD and a whole hell of a lot more binding.

They'd detailed out what information either side was required to share, as well as any kind of aid either would offer the other. Both of them fought to get as much on their side as possible, trying to sway things in their own favor, until it became almost a game between them to see who could get the better deal. What they ended up with was something that was mutually beneficial and something they could both live with.

When Tony had read through it for the third time, making entirely sure that everything was perfectly in order, he didn't hesitate to prick his thumb and combine magic and blood together as he pressed his thumb against the paper. He could feel the magic swirl around him as he did – and as Loki added his mark as well. Once both marks were on the contract, the magic flared hot and bright around the both of them, twisting and turning to twine together before settling down over them so deep Tony felt it straight down to his bones. There was no going back now. They were tied together in this no matter what the outcome.

Tony sat back in his chair and sipped off the glass of elfin wine he'd brought out just for the occasion. The vintage was an old one and carried a sharp yet sweet flavor to it that he rolled around his tongue. Across the table from him, he could see Loki enjoying his own drink just as much. The two of them looked equally tired and satisfied by this. It'd been a long day for the both of them. A longer day by far for Loki.

A sigh slid from Tony. So much had happened today, and yet there was still so much left to be done. However, just because he had to stay up and deal with, it didn't mean that Loki had to. "You look like you could use some rest there, Harry Potter. If you want, we've got a few floors with guest rooms already made up. JARVIS can help you get to one of them, and you can take a siesta." Shelter and a certain level of protection had been a part of their contract. At the moment, there was nowhere more secure than the tower.

Loki didn't bother denying that he was tired. But he took a moment to look Tony over and cock an eyebrow at him. "You should rest as well. You've done immense magic this day."

Oh man, rest sounded _terrific_. Too bad Tony knew it was still hours away for him. "Yeah, well, no rest for the wicked and all that. I still got Fury to deal with, getting the Avengers settled in, plus I still gotta call Pep. I should probably do that first, actually. J, you heard from Pepper? I'm surprised she's not breaking down the doors already."

"Her plane arrives back in the city in eight minutes, sir," JARVIS answered promptly. "She's already called to inform me she'll head directly here, and I'm to keep you present. She also requests you speak with no one until she gets a chance to go over the contents of your SHIELD contract with you, sir."

Tony snorted at that. Yeah, right. Like SHIELD was going to give him a choice in talking to them or not. He'd gotten lucky so far in that _they_ hadn't tried to break down his doors. Not only had he vanished – and with Loki, of all people, who they probably still had plenty of questions for – he'd done it without telling anyone where he was going, and without answering any of the multitudes of questions he knew they were going to have for him. Nick wasn't going to be satisfied with what little information Tony had given him about who he really was. He was going to poke and prod and try and find out so much more.

Right now, what Tony really needed to do was try and get ahead of this. He needed to plan out what he was going to do with SHIELD – and for that, he needed Pepper. Hell, Tony needed her for a whole lot more than that. A lot of things about Tony were coming to light, and he really needed someone he knew was going to be in his corner. Pepper would _always_ be in his corner. Tony had faith in that; he _had_ to have faith in that. If he didn't, he wasn't sure what he'd do.

"Seems like I've got a few minutes, then," Tony said, draining the last of his glass. He wasn't stupid enough to ignore Pepper's advice right now. "J, pass a message to our buddies at SHIELD the next time they try and ring through. Let 'em know Lokes, and I are fine, no one's dead, and that they'll hear back from me as soon as my lawyer gives the go ahead. Also, let them know that the Avengers are free to make their way here whenever they're ready, and see about getting the floors ready for them."

"Already on it, sir. Mr. Liesmith, would you prefer a floor to yourself?"

The use of that title made Tony's lips twitch a little. Loki had made it clear at the start that he was no Odinson. He'd offered Laufeyson, and Liesmith, and JARVIS had chosen the second one. Tony was sort of glad about that. He didn't exactly hold all that fond of memories of Laufey from his time on Jotunheim.

Loki gave a low 'hmm' before taking another sip off his wine. "Yes, I believe that would be best. Perhaps underneath the other Avengers."

"Keep them between us, huh? Smart. Magical protection on either side, top an bottom."

Devilish humor sparked in Loki's eyes, bright and mischievous. He lifted his wine glass once more but didn't drink off it. Instead, he merely held it in front of his face as he arched one eyebrow at Tony. "I'll admit, I usually prefer to be on top, but I suppose I can make an exception this time."

It was a good thing Tony didn't have any wine left in his glass. He might've choked on it.

Loki laughed, low and husky, and pushed up to his feet. His glass was set down on the table before he straightened out his clothes, looking far too pleased with himself. "I believe I'll take you up on your offer of rest. Until later, Anthony Stark. May you sleep well once you've found your chambers."

With no more than that, the mage was gone, vanishing from the room to likely reappear down the hall by the elevator. Tony couldn't help the low laugh he let out. _Dramatic little shit. Good to know some things never change!_ Loki still couldn't resist getting in the last word or making a dramatic entrance or exit. He'd always had one hell of a sense of theatrics.

The feel of Loki's magic in the air shifted enough that Tony knew it was going down now. He was in the elevator being taken to what was about to become _his_ floor. Tony murmured a quick spell to make sure that no one would be able to spy on him in here by human or magical means. That, on top of the magic he'd done to get them here earlier, was pushing his already strained reserves. It was necessary, though. At that moment Tony needed the privacy.

With no one there to see him, he was free to slump down in his seat and let go of the rigid control that he'd been gripping ever since this whole thing started.

A shudder ran down him. Tony brought both hands up and scrubbed hard at his face. God, what the hell was he _doing_? What had Tony been thinking, bringing Loki here, making a _contract with him_? He should've turned him down, sent him in to make some sort of agreement with Nick. But, _no_. Tony had brought him _here_ to his goddamn _home_ and not only made a deal with Loki, but made one that gave Loki the right to _stay here_! "I've lost my mind, J. I think it's finally official, I've lost my mind. Either that or I have a sudden death wish I wasn't even aware of."

"No more so than normal, I believe, sir."

Tony dropped his hands away from his face and shot a glare up at one of the nearby cameras. "Someone's feeling sassy."

"I am as you made me."

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Somehow Tony doubted he'd made JARVIS to be _that_ sarcastic and smug. Then again, JARVIS was made to learn and grow, and most of his interactions were with Tony, so what exactly did that say about Tony? He pushed that thought aside like he always did. "Why did I think it was a good idea to bring him here? I was pushing my luck as it was just interacting with them before. But as soon as I found out they didn't recognize me, I should've taken that as the gift it was and hidden out. Now Thor's going back with the Tesseract, and he'll tell the Allfather that Loki's staying down here on earth with a runaway elf, and they're going to be watching us like a hawk. Not to mention, Loki's one of the smartest people I've ever met. How long do you think it's going to take him to figure out there's something weird about me? I can't… I'm not very good at pretending I don't know him. Anyone else, maybe, but not him."

The overflow of words cut off as Tony gave another exhausted sigh and tipped his head back, closing his eyes. This whole thing was one giant mess. Yet, looking back over it, Tony didn't see anywhere he could've made a different choice.

Sitting there alone with nothing to occupy his thoughts allowed the thing he wished to think about least to push its way to the forefront. There was no way Tony could stop the swell of grief that filled him and burned in his chest and his eyes.

Odin had taken the memory of Tony from the minds of his family. Potentially from the minds of everyone. It was the only explanation that made any sense. And _oh_ , how it _hurt_. It hadn't been enough to just cast him out! No, Odin had had to remove all traces of Tony from their lives. Was it only Thor and Loki that forgot? What about Frigga? Or the rest of Asgard? Was there _anyone_ who remembered him? With the power of the Odinforce, it would still be difficult, but it was possible. He'd either put some sort of spell on them or one on Tony that would make people not remember him. He'd virtually wiped Tony from existence.

All those years of existence wiped away like a smear of mud across an otherwise beautiful image.

Tony let out a shaky breath and fought to keep the tears from forming. He couldn't afford to do this. Not here, not now. Not where there was a chance that anyone might walk in on him. Where Loki might find a way of some sort to try and spy on him. He'd already taken a risk by talking to JARVIS the way that he had. Sure, he had his wards up, and at one point in time there was no way that Loki would've been able to get past them, but he couldn't be sure that Loki hadn't learned anything during his time away. What if he'd found a way to slip past these kinds of wards? What if he'd discovered some sort of spell that would let him pick up something?

The thought was kind of terrifying. Considering all that Tony had already said, the idea that Loki might've heard it wasn't a good one.

Tony's downward spiral of thoughts was cut off when JARVIS let him know "Sir, Ms. Potts has arrived."

Had it been that long already? Tony rubbed his hands over his face and reached for the tattered edges of his control. He wrapped them around himself and fought to pull up the public look he'd perfected so long ago. It wouldn't last long, he knew. But it only had to endure long enough to get them somewhere safer than this room. Somewhere he knew for sure they'd be safe to talk.

When he met her at the elevator, he was smiling. One look was all it took for him to know that she saw right through it. Concern brightened her eyes. Immediately she was reaching out to him, one hand coming out to clasp his. "Tony?" That was the voice of his best friend talking, not his CEO, and it was almost enough to break Tony's control.

Tony drew in a deep breath as he caught hold of her hand. _Control. Don't break down yet._ "Hey, Pep." Still holding her hand, Tony stepped into the elevator, the doors closing almost silently behind him. "Come on, let's go downstairs. We need to talk."

* * *

The elevator took them down to his workshop. JARVIS knew they needed the utmost privacy for this conversation and there was nowhere in the tower more secure than Tony's workshop. Between the human security measures and the magical wards he had built into the room itself as the tower was being made, no one was able to get in without him knowing and without his permission, and no one was going to be able to look or listen in. Everything in here was private. Not even Heimdall could see in here.

If Pepper was confused by their location, she didn't show it. She just followed him down and watched him with sharp, worried eyes. "Tony – what's going on?"

"Before we talk about the contract, I need to tell you some things. About…about me," Tony blurted out. God, this was hard. This was so hard! There was a chance he could lose Pepper here, and he knew it. But if he was going to go down this road, there was going to be at least _one_ person he wasn't going to lie to. "Things I probably should've told you a long time ago. I just, I've never told anyone this, Pep. Never. And I need you to hear me out straight through before you say anything. I know how unbelievable it's all going to sound, and I know, I _know_ , you're going to be mad at me for keeping this from you, but I hope you'll understand why I did. Just, please, listen to all of it first. Please."

The worry in her eyes grew even stronger at that plea. Never before had Tony come so close to begging her. Hell, he'd never said _please_ so many times. Folding her hands in front of her, Pepper nodded at him. "Okay, Tony."

Opening up about this wasn't easy. Tony had started the whole thing planning on giving her just the bare bones of his story. The fact that he was banished, that he was actually an alien, that he could do magic. Maybe, _maybe_ , Tony would tell her who his father actually was, so she could be prepared for the off chance this whole thing went horribly wrong, and Odin came after him. He didn't want Pepper left in the dark about what was happening.

Yet once Tony opened his mouth and began to talk about it, he was stunned by just how much came out. He didn't give Pepper just the bare bones of it all. No, he told her _everything_. Or, almost everything. The only thing he _didn't_ say was _why_ he'd been banished. But the rest of it? It all came spilling out like a dam had burst inside of him. Tony told her about his father exiling him, about the punishment it earned him. With his hands flailing and his body unable to stop moving, pacing here and there through his workshop, he told her about being sent to Jotunheim, and about the years that followed, until his last desperate move brought him here. To earth.

When he was done, Tony felt almost empty. Drained. He stood there in the middle of his workshop and finally lifted his eyes to look over at Pepper. This whole time, he hadn't been able to bring himself to look at her, terrified of what he might see there. But now it was all out there, and there was no more holding back.

What Tony saw wasn't what he'd expected.

Pepper was standing there staring at him, one hand up to cover her mouth and shining tear tracks on her cheeks. Tony couldn't help himself; he gave her a tired, half-smile. "More tears for your boss, Ms. Potts?"

"Absolutely, Mr. Stark." There was no hesitation in her voice. She dropped her hand down, and the look on her face was so sad, it made Tony's stomach clench. "I'm going to come hug you. If you don't want it, you better speak up now."

There was no way he was turning that down. Tony opened up his arms and let her walk right into them. It felt amazing to have her wrap herself up in him. She curled her arms around his neck and burrowed her way in against him until Tony felt like he was wrapped entirely around her. His world felt and smelled like Pepper, and he hadn't even known he'd needed that until he got it. Her presence steadied him and helped ground him. "I am so mad at you for not telling me this," Pepper scolded him. Then she pulled back and framed his face in her eyes, her eyes looking so sad at that moment. "But I understand why you did."

"Thank you." Those were the only words Tony could think of to say. He'd told so much already, poured out his heart, and he just wasn't sure he could manage anything more. He was too tired. Too broken open from the day's events.

Pepper, bless her, saw that. She didn't press him for anything else or force him to keep talking about this. Instead, she gave him a quick look over and then took her hands away from his face to put them on his shoulders and started pushing him, steering him over to the small space on the side of the workshop where he had a bed set up. "Come on, Tony. It's been a long day – you need to get some sleep. Things will make more sense in the morning."

"I can't," Tony protested, even as he let her nudge him down onto the bed. His eyes drifted closed almost against his will. "There's too much left to do. Fury and the Avengers…"

Pepper cut him off with a firm, "You just leave them to me."

"Pep…"

"You're in no shape to go up there and deal with all this. After the kind of day you've had, the only thing you need is sleep. JARVIS and I can handle everything else, all right?"

If there were anyone he was going to trust, it'd be JARVIS, with Pepper running a close second. Right now Pepper had Tony's story – a bit jumbled from his emotions, and probably missing pieces – but JARVIS knew everything. He'd know not only what had happened to Tony in the past, but what Tony was looking to make happen for their future. JARVIS knew him better than anyone anymore. He'd be able to steer Pepper towards what Tony wanted. "Keep an eye on her, J," Tony murmured, barely paying any attention to Pepper's hands helping him to lay down.

The exhaustion had really kicked in. Between the emotional shocks, plus the physical and magical strain, Tony desperately needed this rest. As soon as it looked like he might start to actually get it, it was as if his body stopped fighting to stay awake and instead was flinging itself wholeheartedly towards sleep. Tony laid his head on the pillow and couldn't stop the soft sigh he gave.

He didn't notice as Pepper pulled the blankets over him. By the time she pressed a kiss to his temple, he was already asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Midgardians were strange. Loki had come to that decision a long, long time ago, on one of his trips to their realm. The people here were a peculiar lot – one that he didn't quite understand. But since coming here this last time and being released from the Other's hold, free to watch and observe without that clutch over his mind, it had only further reinforced his opinion.

Thinking of the being that had held him and what had been done to create that hold was enough to have Loki shivering as he prepared for his day. That was very much something he did _not_ want to think about. What they had done – what they were going to do if (when) they caught him again – had a shiver of fear running down his spine. Quickly, he took that fear and channeled it into anger. No! That wasn't going to happen to him again! They'd found him last time while he was _weak_. Hel damn him if he let himself ever end up in that kind of position again! Loki would show him what happened to fools who thought they could _use_ him.

Loki fought to push aside that rage and focus back on his other thoughts. On the strange people here and the new alliance that he'd made.

By all rights, these people, these _Avengers_ , should've locked Loki up until they verified his story. They shouldn't have trusted him enough to let him sit there during their council meeting. Loki might've thought it was just them believing their own mage's word, if not for the fact that the meeting had quickly proved that pretty much _no one_ trusted Anthony Stark – or had even known he was a mage to begin with.

Loki found himself oddly trusting of this strange little mage. He couldn't explain it; all he knew was that his _magic_ trusted him, to a degree that was staggering and hard to argue with. But he couldn't deny that Anthony Stark had done nothing but help him. He'd been the one to notice that Loki was under the control of something else. He'd _freed_ him!

It was part of what prompted him to reach out and make a deal with the other mage. That, and the fact that it was abundantly clear that Anthony Stark was likely what passed for royalty on Midgard. Oh, sure, Loki knew enough to know that there were minor kings and queens in various parts of Midgard. The realm had no true king, though. Not like any of the other realms. But Loki had learned from a young age how to read the world around him. Anthony Stark might not have been actual royalty, yet he held the power of one. Not only that, he had the mind to back up that power.

If there were any on this planet that might stand a chance of being some kind of threat when Thanos came, it would be this being here. Allying with him was Loki's best chance at surviving – and he'd always been a bit of an expert at surviving.

Besides, being close like this, actually living in Anthony Stark's tower, allowed him plenty of opportunities to watch and prod at the strange elf who had hidden as a human.

Loki tilted his head to look up at the ceiling. Now that he was awake and dressed, it was time he sought his host out. Yesterday, Anthony had explained about the voice in his ceiling, and Loki addressed it now. "JARVIS, is Anthony Stark awake?" There was no telling if he were or not. Loki wasn't stupid enough to try and reach out with all the wards he felt around the place. His magic had returned, rest helping to heal him, but he didn't feel like pitting himself against a mage's wards inside of their own home. Not without more knowledge. However, that meant he couldn't just reach out and find Anthony.

JARVIS answered him promptly in a voice that was far more polite than anyone other than Anthony had used with Loki. "Mr. Stark is on the common floor with the other Avengers and Ms. Potts. Would you like me to call him for you?"

"Could you direct me there?"

With JARVIS telling him where to go, Loki made his way from his guest chamber – a rather simple, if well-done room – and down the hall to the elevator. The wards shifted as Loki stepped into the elevator, and again as he went up past each floor. Now that he was awake and aware enough to sense all of it, he was somewhat impressed by it. Loki's opinion of Anthony's abilities went up with each new thing he'd learned. He also found himself more and more pleased by his choice in ally.

There were layers upon layers of wards for each level of the tower. They shifted and changed, sometimes right on top of one another, some of them seemingly hidden until Loki was passing through them. They all seemed to recognize him, too, meaning that Anthony had already added him to them, or at least labeled him as _not a threat_.

When Loki finally arrived on what must be the common floor, it was to the loud sound of multiple voices arguing. Loki's eyebrows shot up in surprise before he schooled his expression into something cold and just a bit amused. It was his go-to expression for situations like this. He was tempted to leave. Walking into the middle of a fight with the _Avengers_ – that ridiculous name had Loki rolling his eyes – didn't seem like the smartest of ideas. They'd been very clear in their distrust any time they looked at him yesterday; one of the few intelligent decisions Loki had seen most of them making.

What had Loki continuing into the room was the fact that he recognized Anthony's voice in there, as well as his— _Thor_ 's booming voice. Neither of which sounded happy.

A slight tingle against Loki's skin had him moving a little faster. That was magic – furious magic, held back and restrained, yet livid nonetheless.

Reaching the end of the hallway brought Loki to an open space. The whole floor seemed to open up much in the style of the floor that Loki had just come from. In this central area there was a living room down in the middle of the room, with the bedrooms in another hall off to the right, and to the left was a bay of floor-to-ceiling windows that shone down on an empty space and the kitchen and dining room. It was in that empty area right next to the kitchen that Anthony and Thor appeared to be squaring off with one another. Captain Steve Rogers stood at the edge of the kitchen as if ready to step between them, or argue with them both, and the rest of the 'Avengers' spread out through the kitchen itself.

For one brief instant, there was something about Anthony and Thor that caught Loki's eye. A hint of light over the both of them, the angle of the sun coming down on them perhaps, that sparked something deep inside Loki's magic. A little surge of emotion he had no word for. It was gone before he could focus on it.

Then he forgot about it entirely as Thor took a step forward and _growled_ at Anthony. "We know nothing about you, save that your own people banished you. Why would I trust you with the care of my brother?"

Hearing those words put Loki's back up. Though, not quite as much as the flinch he felt in the magic all around him. The way that it jerked and then drew in, closing off in a way that felt so wrong coming from an elf, a being that lived and breathed magic.

Loki let his temper freeze his words as he called out "Who says I need to be cared for? Or that you have any choice in the matter?"

All eyes shot towards Loki. The mage kept his pose casual and his cool mask in place while he strolled into the room. It escaped no one's notice that he moved to join Anthony – an unequivocal statement. Thor's eyes narrowed a little at that. He'd gotten smarter these past years. More likely to notice the subtle cues that had one gone unnoticed.

A broad smile curved Loki's lips in the face of Thor's annoyance.

At his side, he heard Anthony let out a soft huff of breath, a sound tinged with amusement, and some of the tension in the air faded away. "Glad you could join us, Elsa. We were just talking about you."

"I gathered as much." The amusement on Loki's face grew as he looked around at all those watching. He knew all their names, both from his time in control of Agent Barton, as well as yesterday's meeting. The Captain – a man out of his time – looked even more unsure than before, with an edge of temper that said he could get riled up against easily enough. It wouldn't take much work. In contrast, Dr. Bruce Banner – the man who held the beast inside – was hanging as far back from the group as possible, avoiding any chance of confrontation, though he kept looking to Anthony in a concerned way that suggested which direction he might lean towards if pushed.

Natasha Romanoff, their 'Black Widow,' was watching Loki almost entirely. Everything about her suggested that she found him a threat and was prepared to react accordingly. It was almost cute.

At her side was the one that Loki was almost hesitant about looking to. He should've realized, from his time controlling Clint Barton's mind, that the archer would never react in quite the way he expected. Clint was leaning against the counter drinking a frighteningly large mug of coffee and looking far too amused with himself. There was tension at the edge of his eyes when he caught Loki's gaze, and a hint of fire in there that suggested that he _was_ angry, but also the same strange compassion that he'd showed Loki yesterday. The one that said he understood far more than Loki was comfortable with.

As if he saw Loki's discomfort, and enjoyed it, he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and even _winked_ at Loki.

Humans. They were ridiculous and _strange_.

Thor's expression was furious when Loki brought his eyes back to him. Only, he was once more glaring at Anthony, not at Loki. "You said he wasn't here!"

The way that Anthony grinned at that was positively devilish. "I lied. Well, technically I didn't, seeing as how I told you he wasn't _here_ , and at the time he wasn't. He was on a completely different floor. He's here now, though, and that's what's important…" Anthony cut off abruptly when Thor took a menacing step forward. Instead of backing down as others might, the elf went completely still, and the power in the air grew sharp and ready. "Try it, big guy. I dare you." Anthony warned him, voice dangerously low. From all around the room came the sounds of metal panels moving. In the next second, there were quite a few rather large guns pointed directly at Thor. It happened without a command from Anthony, either with word or magic, which could only mean that JARVIS was the one controlling them. Far more than just an electronic butler.

No one moved as they watched to see how this would play out. Anthony kept his relaxed pose though his muscles were tensed in preparation. His eyes never once left Thor's.

There was a hint of that old fire in Thor's eyes; the very same one that had almost gotten them killed and risked losing any chance of peace between the Jotunheim and Asgard. Seeing it, Loki was stunned when the whole situation didn't escalate. Thor held his ground and didn't charge forward. He didn't let it go, though. His eyes ran over Anthony's form, the human illusion still up, and sneered at him. "I should've remembered to never trust an elf."

 _Oh, you idiot!_ Loki wanted to groan out loud. _This_ was why he hated diplomatic missions with Thor. The giant oaf had a tendency to let his mouth and emotions _ruin_ everything.

Only, Anthony didn't look offended. In fact, he _snorted_ , a sound that was echoed in the distance by Clint. "All right, Gimli, calm down," Anthony said, earning him another snort from Clint and a strangled laugh. Rolling his eyes, Anthony drew in a breath and then waved a hand, which must've been a gesture for JARVIS because the guns immediately retracted once more. When they were gone, Anthony straightened up just a bit and once more met Thor's eyes without any sign of fear. "You've changed. You're less trusting, less rash."

"You speak as if you know me," Thor said.

Anthony shrugged one shoulder. "Find me someone who hasn't heard the stories about you – it'd be rarer. I've heard plenty of stories about your feats, Thor Odinson, and I'm about as impressed by you as I am by Captain Spandex over there."

"The feeling is mutual, I assure you."

A corner of Anthony's mouth quirked up. There was something there, a hint of what looked like, hurt? It was gone too fast for Loki to see it. Anthony drew up another mask that kept everything hidden on his face. There was a softness that hadn't been there before, though, as he looked up at Thor. "Look…You're a warrior, Thor, and from what I hear a decent tactician. But you're not sneaky, and you're no diplomat. We've got a veritable shit storm ahead of us, and it's gonna take more than brawn to take it down. We'll need you when it comes time for the fight – I'd trust you to have my back out there in the thick of it without any hesitation. But right now? We need the kind of cunning and intelligence your brother's known for. We need his smarts, his tactical skills, his ability to charm the pants off of just about anyone he wants to. So yeah, I hid him from you. I kept my ally safe, just like I promised, and I made damn sure you wouldn't be able to confront him without some kind of backup. I'll do just about anything to protect my assets right now. The fate of the Nine Realms is a whole lot more important than your bruised ego."

Silence fell over the room. Not even Loki knew what to say. He stared at Anthony and tried not to let his shock show on his face. There had never been a time that he could remember when someone had chosen him over Thor for _anything_ – not unless it was for making Loki the scapegoat. Everyone always did everything they could to have Thor on their team. To have Anthony stand there and defend his alliance with Loki, to speak so passionately about having Loki on his side – the mage had no idea what to say.

They were saved from the silence by Anthony. He relaxed his posture and smiled at Thor with an affection that was surprising to see. "If you can let go of whatever it is that's between the two of you, I'd be more than happy to have you help us, Thor. But… I'm allied with Loki, and for all that you think elves are liars, you can't deny that we're the most loyal creatures you'll find on any of the Nine Realms. We don't turn on backs on those who've earned our loyalty, and we _never_ break our word."

There was a brief moment where Loki wasn't sure what Thor would decide to do. Then he watched as Thor dipped his head and took a small step back. It was a silent agreement without any threats to further it along. _Wasn't this surprising?_ Loki cocked an eyebrow and kept quiet as well. He wasn't quite sure how to deal with this new version of Thor.

Anthony's smile grew, and he clapped his hands together, suddenly a whole lot more cheerful than before. "Perfect! Well then, I think we've got a lot to talk about, don't we? Jarv, start us a new pot of coffee, would you? The rest of you, come on, let's sit down at the table. Now that we've got all our contracts sorted out, it's time to start making some plans, and I've got a few ideas on how we can start."

* * *

They way they all seated themselves at the table said quite a lot about them. Anthony sat at the head of the table, while Steve Rogers took the other end, placing them opposite from one another. On the Captain's end of the table were the two spies, side by side, and Thor. The quiet doctor Banner took a seat two down from Thor, which put him in the middle of the two groups, not technically on either side.

The woman Anthony introduced as Pepper Potts took the seat on Anthony's right. She held a tablet in her hand and watched them all with a sharpness that Loki could respect. This was a woman who was far more than she appeared. Smart, capable, and entirely unafraid of her own intelligence. As she sat at Anthony's side, legs crossed and hands folded over the tablet she placed in her lap, she was watching them and analyzing everything, assessing them all. It was easy for Loki to understand why Anthony had put this woman in charge of his company. The affectionate way she glanced at Anthony made it clear why he labeled her as one of his closest friends.

Steve was the one to break the silence that had fallen over them. He leaned forward with his arms resting on the table and brought his focus right on Anthony. "Before we get started, there are some things I think we should get out in the open."

"I'm not telling you who I was, or where I'm from, or why I was banished," Anthony said bluntly, stopping them all before they could get going. He never lost his smirk; the light in his eyes dimmed just a bit, though. "It has absolutely no bearing on the fight ahead of us. My ties and loyalty are to earth, and that's where they're staying. So long as none of you want me to go to Asgard or Alfheim, we'll be fine."

Before anyone could argue that, Pepper chimed in, her voice never once raising or showing anything but professionalism. "Mr. Stark has clearly outlined what he's willing to share in his contract. Anything outside that is up to his discretion."

"How're we supposed to trust someone we know nothing about?" Steve countered. He leaned forward on his arms and clasped his hands together on the table. "I respect the fact that you have a right to your privacy, Mr. Stark. But by my understanding, you've had files on all of us with quite a bit of information in them."

"You can't tell me you didn't get my file, too," Anthony said, one eyebrow lifting.

"It's not the same, though, is it?" Natasha asked.

Anthony smirked at her. "Cause your file tells the whole story, does it?" The amusement in his tone made it clear just how much he believed _that._ "My file probably contains just about as much truth as yours does, _Natalie_. Yet, somehow, I'm the only one who's getting subjected to the 'how can we trust you' speech. Funny, isn't it?"

The only thing that kept Loki from smirking was years' worth of practice. This whole conversation was shaping up to be a lot more entertaining than he'd thought it would be. They were no team, for all that they'd been thrown together. What they knew of each other apparently came from _files_. Not even their own observation nor intelligence, but _files._ It would be so easy to tear them apart before they yet got started. The right comment here or there, the right amount of pressure in just the right places, and Loki could have this team fractured before it even had a chance to form.

Entertaining as that might be, it wasn't what Loki wanted at the moment. These people were – so far – the best that earth seemed to have to offer. That meant that he had to somehow make them capable of working together, and _that_ wasn't going to be anywhere near as easy, or as fun.

With all the air of one used to playing diplomat, Loki adjusted himself in his seat and called on his mother's training to school his expression into something less mocking and more peaceful. "We can go back and forth all through the morning about who knows what about the other, and what kind of trust issues it might create. Right now, our focus should be on what is coming for us, and how we hope to stop it." Loki's words drew eyes to him just the way that he'd wanted. He let his own gaze run over everyone around him. "With his loss of control over me, the Other will have reported back to Thanos, and the Mad Titan will be forced to make a different plan. It's likely he'll send another agent, albeit more discreetly, and we need to be prepared for that."

A few of the others looked like they weren't that willing to let the previous conversation go. It was Bruce who accepted the conversation change and went with it. "You don't think that Thanos will just come on his own?"

Loki shook his head. Though thinking on Thanos made him want to shiver – _the cold table under his back, shackles on his wrists, and the pain, so much pain, flaying him alive_ – he kept hold of his composure. "He is too smart for that. While he's powerful, and he has his armies, he's not willing to risk simply coming after what he wants. It was why he sent me in, to begin with. If he felt it was easier to come take the Tesseract himself, he would've already done so. Even were he to decide he was going to come on his own, the distance he'd have to travel would give us time. Years, at least. A minimum of four with his armies."

"So we've got time," Tony said. He brought one hand up to run at his beard in an absent gesture. There was a sharpness in his eyes that showed the quick mind inside. "Good. We're probably going to need every single bit of it. There's no way Earth's ready for any kind of attack. We were scrambling around to try and figure out a way to stop _you_."

"Asgard will stand with Midgard," Thor told them firmly, his voice full of a conviction that Loki didn't – couldn't – feel.

Anthony's low 'hmmm' showed as much doubt in that as Loki felt. He didn't argue it, though. "We'll need to court allies. On earth and off it. I've got a few people I can contact here and give a bit of a heads up to."

"We'll need to train," Steve added in. He straightened up with the bearing of one used to leading. It showed in his straight spine, squared shoulders, and the proud tilt to his chin. While he might not like who he was working with at the moment, he was someone who was smart enough to see the problem ahead and know they needed to focus on it. "There's no way any of us or our troops are prepared to take on aliens." Pausing, he shook his head, a hint of disbelief and humor showing through. "Never thought I'd be saying _that_."

That got him a few chuckles and a sharp and fast grin from Anthony, who winked and told him, "It's a brave new world, Cap."

The training of Midgardian troops was something that Loki wasn't going to worry himself over. Let that fall to Thor; much as Loki was loathe to praise Thor for _anything_ at all, he had to admit that the idiot knew how to fight. He'd be able to show them a bit about how to handle themselves against someone naturally stronger than them. There was even a chance that Anthony would be able to do the same. Loki hadn't seen him fight; he'd watched him _move_ , though. There was a grace to his movements that suggested he knew how to handle himself.

What was important to figure out now while they were all here gathered around the table was their plans for the future. Allies, strategy, and things like that. They needed to get people on their side and preparing for what was coming. The more they had fighting with them, the better their chances would be.

It didn't take long for them to get to it. Natasha was the one to steer them away from talk of training and back to seeking out allies. "You said you know people you can call?" Natasha asked, directing her words at Anthony.

The elf nodded, eyes a bit distant in clear thought. Watching him had Loki strangely wishing for that elvish face they'd all glimpsed before instead of this human illusion. "I know a few people here on earth that could help out," Anthony said slowly. "Some magic users – not that great, but better than nothing. I can give Professor X a ring, too. He'll want to help out, I can guarantee that."

"You know Professor X?" Clint asked incredulously. Apparently, this was someone that he knew of and was slightly impressed by.

Anthony's lips quirked in a small smile more real than his previous ones. "I know a lot of people, Magpie. Charles is an… an old, dear friend."

There was an old story behind those words; one that brought both joy and sadness. Loki wasn't surprised when Anthony didn't linger on it. Instead, the elf's posture shifted entirely from the slightly relaxed, if intent, pose that he'd had himself in, into something a whole lot more focused. Gone were any signs of the playful person that he'd showed himself to be so far. In his place was the person that Loki had seen across the conference table yesterday as they'd debated their contract back and forth. This was someone who was smart, sharp, and focused on what they wanted and how they were going to get it. This was someone that Loki could easily find himself working with. Even occasionally taking direction from.

"I don't trust SHIELD," Anthony said, not the least bit ashamed of admitting to it even with two SHIELD agents sitting at the table with him. He sat back in his chair, one hand drumming lightly on the table. "However, we can trust they'll be preparing to try and find a way to stop Thanos on their own. Knowing them, that means all sorts of weapons that we won't know if they'll be meant for the bad guy or for us. Either way, they'll be ready to fight. We'll just have to take all that into account as we make our plans. So we've got them, we've probably got the X-Men, and this planet's sorcerers. JARVIS, make a note to set up a program with me tonight so we can try and track down any other superpowered individuals out there, would you? We need to see who else we can recruit to our cause."

"You want to draw civilians into this?" Steve asked him. Nearby, Bruce looked uncomfortable, his gaze darting down towards the table. From what Loki had learned through Clint, Bruce Banner was not a fighter, and he did not enjoy the beast inside of him, yet that very beast was likely going to be one of their strongest allies if his information was correct.

Anthony shot a dry look towards Steve. "Thanos will rip apart our entire planet and not give a single damn about it, Steve. You're damn right I'm gonna pull in anyone I can, civilian or not. We've got time to train them up as best as we can. Which, speaking of time…" He abruptly turned himself to face Loki, who arched one eyebrow and quietly waited for what the other being had to say. "You've given us a guess on a timeframe, but I'm thinking that's all it is – a guess. There any way you can see about firming up that timeframe _without_ getting yourself too close?"

Loki thought for a moment before nodding his head. "Yes." It'd take a bit of work, talking to some people who might not want to talk to him, and probably going to take a look at a few things, but it could be done. Once he found them, he'd have to study them a bit, too. Watch the way they traveled. It was the only way he'd be able to get an accurate estimate of time.

Nodding, not in the least bit concerned by Loki's simple answer, Anthony continued on. "Good. Once we know exact times, we'll better be able to plan. For now, we need to work on getting all the realms as prepared as possible for what's to come. Thor, you said you'd take care of speaking with Asgard and the Allfather?"

"Aye," Thor agreed.

"Good." A sudden grimace crossed Anthony's features. He smoothed it away quickly and sighed like the weight of the Nine Realms was on his shoulders. Loki felt his seidr pulse and ache with the need to reach out and offer comfort. "I don't suppose I can convince you to _not_ mention me to him?"

Thor's expression darkened. "I will not lie to the Allfather."

"Not _lie_ ," Anthony said slowly. "Just… edit the truth? Go ahead and tell him that there's an elf living on Midgard if you have to. You can say that elf is associated with SHIELD, and that he helped to get Thanos out of Loki's mind. You can even say that the elf was banished from their home and has peacefully made their home on earth. Just… don't mention that the elf and Tony Stark are the same people."

Neither Tony nor Thor seemed to be paying attention to anyone else at the table. Everyone was watching them, though. They all watched as Thor furrowed his brow in obvious thought. Suspicion lit his gaze. He really had changed since Loki's fall. Once, that doubt wouldn't have been there. Thor had learned a lesson, hard though it might've been. He'd learned to ask a straightforward question, and it was one that he spoke now. "Why?"

Sighing, Anthony seemed to deflate just the slightest bit. In that moment, even with the illusion still on, there was an aged look to Anthony's face. One that made clear that this was a being who had been alive longer than any human in this room, and who had seen and lived through so much during that time. "It's taken me a long time to move on from what happened to me. I've come a long way from who I used to be, and the life I had. I've spent years and years running from it, hiding from the people who would've been happy to kill me. What I've found here… I'm happy here. I have a life. It might not be much of one to the rest of you, but it's everything to me. I have a home, and I've got people here who I care about and who're stupid enough to care about me." He turned and smiled at Pepper, who smacked his arm and yet still reached down to clasp his hand in hers. Anthony held on to her in return before bringing his smile back to Thor. "I have a life here, Thor, and I don't want to lose it. If word spreads that Tony Stark is really an elf hiding on earth, it won't take long before some of those beings find me, and if they do…well, running isn't an option anymore."

Once more, Anthony's eyes turned to Pepper, just briefly this time. The others might not have understood, but Loki did. Anyone who came after Anthony would find that there were few people Anthony Stark was close to, and if they were the type to hunt him down like this, they might very well be the type to hurt those close to him to draw him out. Anthony's love and loyalty were evident. He was clearly stating that he wouldn't run and put them at risk. He'd stay, and he'd let them take him, let them hurt him, to keep those that he cared about safe.

Loki resolved to talk to Thor before he left. Not that the idiot had ever listened to him before. Hopefully, these newfound lessons that Thor had learned would make it easier for Loki to convince him now that telling anyone of Anthony's secret would result only in death for one of their best allies so far.

The perturbed look on Thor's face said that maybe he was already thinking of that himself.

Content with what he saw on Thor's face, and the slight nod he got, Anthony drew in a breath and visibly gathered himself until all emotion was locked away once more. That sharp look was back; the shrewd general had taken over once more. "Okay. All right then, J, pull up a map of Yggdrasil for me, would you?"

Over the table appeared a beautiful illusion of Yggdrasil. It was well crafted. Loki knew it was human technology that had done it, yet he couldn't help but see the touch of a mage in its work. Anthony had found a way to take magical illusions and create them with human technology. It was quite beautifully done.

The humans all looked fascinated by what they saw. Even Thor seemed a bit impressed. Bruce was staring in open fascination, Natasha was running her eyes over it all in a way that suggested she was memorizing it. Likely to report back to her superiors later. Steve was a bit awestruck, yet Loki could clearly see the way the man started to analyze it all, trying to take in the details. But it was Clint, the little hawk, who leaned closer and reached a hand out, grinning when his touch turned the illusion more towards him. " _Awesome_."

"What is this?" Steve asked, never taking his eyes off the image.

"This is Yggdrasil, the World Tree," Anthony said. "Remind me to give you a lesson on it, later. J – make sure everyone has the option to learn about it later. Let's prep a 'Norse Mythology for Dummies' pack, laying out the basics they'll need to know. Make sure to throw in a chapter on which myths are real and which ones aren't."

"Of course, sir," JARVIS answered promptly.

Pepper tilted her head to smile up towards the ceiling. "Will you send one to me when you're done, please, JARVIS?"

"Oooh, make sure there's one ready for Honey Bear, too," Anthony said quickly. He grimaced just a bit before grinning. "We'll have to call him out and have 'the talk' with him, too. We'll see if SHIELD can set him up as our military liaison or something. This isn't something we'll be able to keep from the government, no matter what the WSC says."

Whoever the WSC was, it was apparent that neither Clint nor Natasha had expected Anthony to know about them, judging by the sharp looks they gave him.

Of course, Anthony ignored it, his mind already moving ahead of them all. "Okay, _so_ , we've got Asgard taken care of, and Earth, too." With a gesture of Anthony's hand, those two images darkened on the World Tree. "That leaves Vanaheim, Alfheim, Niðavellir, Jotunheim, Muspelheim, Svartalfheim, and Hel." Once more drumming his fingers on the table, Anthony regarded the realms. His eyes abruptly cut to Loki. "I assume you can speak with your daughter?"

Loki tipped his head in acknowledgment. There wasn't much that Hel would be able to do; she'd do what she could, though. "I also have contacts on Alfheim that I could speak with. Frey will not turn me away, and while he might not trust me as much as he does others, he knows enough to know there are some things even I would not make light of."

"Svartalfheim is empty. Barren." Thor chimed in. "There is no one there to help us. Nor would they, even if there were."

Almost immediately, Anthony was shaking his head. "No, it's not."

Both Thor and Loki sat up straighter at those words. They'd heard the stories as children; they knew about the war between Asgard and the Dark Elves. Asgard believed the planet empty, the Dark Elves gone. The idea that they were wrong had never even occurred to Loki. This was one planet he'd avoided during his travels. What was the point of going somewhere that was long since dead?

Seeing their looks, and apparently having anticipated it, Anthony didn't flinch. Nor did he hesitate to explain. "The war between Asgard and the Dark Elves took out most of them, yeah. But there were Dark Elves who were on Alfheim at the time the war happened. Refugees who didn't want to be a part of the war, or who just wanted the fighting to stop. When the planet was destroyed, did you think none of them would ever decide they wanted to go back? That was almost four thousand years ago. There are tribes back on Svartalfheim again. Dark elves, and even some light elves and dwarves. The last time I was there, a dragon clan had just moved there. It's become a sort of refugee planet. I was there about, oh, a hundred years ago? They had a lot of tribes."

Loki and Thor exchanged a look at that. Even Thor recognized just how dangerous this was. There was an entire realm that had people on it, and the Allfather hadn't known about it or had chosen to ignore it. These people were on their own, refugees from the sounds of things, and without any allies to speak of. At least, not that Asgard knew of. Did they have other allies out there? Did the other realms know of them and keep their presence a secret?

It undoubtedly bore thinking about. Another thing to put on the mental list of things to poke and prod at Anthony for.

Their silence was evidently taken as the end of the subject. Anthony was already focusing on the map once more and moving on. "I can take care of talking with Svartalfheim. I've got friends on Niðavellir, too. Muspelheim… unless things have changed, I doubt we'll be able to really convince them to be on our side. Any alliance we got there would run the risk of turning on us and destroying everything."

That was far too true. Muspelheim was dangerous, and not a place one would go to court allies. That left only Vanaheim. While the Allfather would be able to speak with them and gain their help, that would just promise that they'd assist Asgard in defending Midgard. Loki wanted more than that. The more of these alliances that were tied to him, and to Anthony, the easier it would be to control what happened. And with each passing moment, Loki was becoming more and more sure that, if he had to share control of any of this, Anthony was going to be his best choice. Loki was willing to share that power so long as he got his own goal in the long run – the death of the Other, at the very least, and Thanos himself if it could be managed.

It would work in his favor to have someone else in power, honestly. Someone who would be able to have their face be the one that others saw. Loki always did his best work from the shadows.

"I know a few of the Council members in Vanaheim," Loki said, drawing Anthony's focus to him. "I can speak with them." Unlike some realms, which possessed a King and/or Queen, Vanaheim ran differently. There was a Council of Senators who worked together to protect the peace and laws of their people. It was kind of like the Council of Alfheim – which was made up of the leaders from each tribe of Elves on the planet – only, there was no King to rule over them. Any decision they made was made via vote.

They weren't the easiest to deal with; they were, however, often logical, and intelligent. If Loki came to them with facts, he'd be able to draw them into an alliance. He was sure of it.

Anthony clapped his hands together in front of him. His whole face lit up with his grin. "Perfect! Between us, we'll cover the Nine Realms, plus a little extra. That gets us going on allies. Once hear back from a few of them, we'll be able to start talking strategy. In the meantime, while we wait to hear back from everyone, the rest of us can start getting Earth as ready as possible."

"I get that this guy is a big bad guy, bigger than anything we've ever even seen," Clint said, bringing attention back to the mortals that were watching on. His eyes ran over Loki, Thor, and Anthony, looking at each in turn before seeming to settle his gaze on Anthony for whatever reason. "You guys said that even taking the Tesseract away won't stop him. But you haven't said why he's after this Tesseract so bad. Or why we shouldn't just give it to him so he'll leave us alone."

Loki sat up straighter, mouth already open in protest, when Anthony spoke overtop him. "It'd never work."

"I guessed as much," Clint said. "But you gotta know SHIELD and the WSC, they're gonna wonder about it, and they'll want to try. Unless you can give them a good reason why they shouldn't."

"Uh, because Thanos is a dick who'd destroy the earth anyway?" A low growl bubbled up from Anthony. He rubbed both his hands over his face and slumped backward in his chair. "The last thing I wanna do is give this talk while the Tesseract is still on earth. Tell Fury there's a damn good reason for it, but he won't get a word out of me about it until after the Tesseract is off-world. Once it is, I'll tell him as much as I can."

The two spies exchanged a long, speaking look. Then they were turning back to Anthony and Clint was nodding his head. "All right."

Anthony sighed. "Yay. Add that to the list, too, J." Lifting one hand, he rubbed his fingers over his eyebrows and temples, and he briefly let his eyes drift halfway closed. After another deep breath or two, he dropped his hand down and pasted on a smile. "All right, people, we've got a hell of a list here to get to work on, and only so much time to get it done. I'm sure JARVIS showed all of you the rooms you'll be staying in here. Cap, when you've got time later tonight, maybe after dinner, you and I should sit down and talk schedules. We'll need to set up something here for the Avengers to train and such."

The Captain perked up at those words. Loki kept his own smile on the inside so as not to ruin what Anthony was doing here. He was delegating jobs here in a way that made it seem more like he was merely consulting. It was worded just right to make Steve feel like he was the leader here, at least of the Avengers team, and that Anthony was only consulting with him. In reality, it would free up Anthony from some work, while still allowing him to keep a hand in what was being done.

Everyone had their jobs now, and they all quickly started to disperse to begin them. Loki slipped away while the humans were exchanging words, and Anthony and Pepper were murmuring on the sidelines. Much as he wanted to speak with Anthony and start making some of their own plans, he wanted to make sure to talk with Thor before he left. He wanted to make sure that Thor understood the importance of keeping some information close to the vest. It wasn't just Anthony who wanted to protect himself, after all. Loki had to look out for himself as well.


	6. Chapter 6

The next few days were some of the busiest that Tony had had in a long time. The little 'War Council' he'd had with the Asgardians and the Avengers had brought up quite a list of things that needed to get done. Thankfully, some of those things had been handed off to others, but there was a lot of stuff on the list that Tony had to handle himself. Attending a meeting with Nick to discuss Infinity Stones – that was one of his least favorite ones. Tony knew it was going to suck, and so he made sure to do it right after Thor left for Asgard just so he could get it out of the way.

It took until dinnertime before Tony finally made it back to his tower. The rest of the Avengers were still there, making what smelled like spaghetti. Tony caught a whiff of it the instant he stepped off the elevator and onto the common-floor. It had his stomach rumbling as it reminded him that he'd yet to eat anything since this morning.

To his surprise, it wasn't just the other Avengers that were on this floor – Loki was still present. The mage was sitting in one of the oversized chairs, legs crossed, posture relaxed, and a glass of what looked like wine in his hand. Bright green eyes lifted almost the instant Tony came into view.

The sight of him, so casual and at ease, as if he _belonged_ here, was like a fist to the gut. Tony had to fight to keep himself from doubling over under the pain of it. Everything in him was singing with the presence of this one being in his home. To see Loki sitting there, to feel the traces of his magic in the air, it was everything Tony could've wanted. It was too much and not enough. Because even though those eyes were looking at him, they didn't actually _see_ him, and Tony hated that. He hated it so fucking much.

Years of acting had him smiling even as his heart felt like it was breaking. "Hey there, Reindeer Games. Didn't expect you to still be hanging around."

The casual air Tony had forced into his tone must've worked because no one glanced sideways at him as he came strolling in, smirk firmly in place. The look he did get didn't give any indication that anyone could see through Tony's façade. _Good._

Loki's lips twitched ever so slightly. "Was I to leave without bidding farewell to my host, then? Are manners truly that lax on Midgard?"

"Oh, shove off it." Laughing, Tony dropped himself without any sign of grace down onto the couch near Loki's chair. He rolled his eyes at the princely tone Loki had used. "Like you give a shit about manners."

The familiarity in Tony's tone was missed by him, but it wasn't missed by Loki. The other's gaze sharpened ever so slightly. Not in anger, though. In curiosity. He regarded Tony silently for a moment. Then he slanted a look over to the kitchen where the other Avengers were all finishing setting the table and plating food, all while trying to discreetly pay attention. Loki's eyes flashed with a hint of a sharper green.

Tony couldn't help his grin at the new shield he found erected over them. It wouldn't completely mask their words from others; it would, however, make them misleading. Not just the sound of them, but the shape of them as well, preventing any spies – in this instance, the Widow and the partially-deaf archer – from being able to lip-read.

What was important enough that Loki felt the need to hide their words?

He didn't have to wait long to find out. Spell in place, Loki brought his focus back to Tony, not even bothering to look the least bit ashamed when he realized that Tony had caught what he'd done. A smile briefly ghosted over his lips before getting hidden behind his wine glass.

Amused, Tony grinned. "Something you wanted to say, Prancer?"

"Plenty," Loki almost purred the word out, sending a shiver down Tony's spine. Was he… was he _flirting_? Tony's brain stalled for a second at that idea. Was _Loki flirting with him_? He didn't get long to panic about it. Loki's next words drew him right back out of his own thoughts. "But, as it stands, I did have something I wished to say before I left. I wanted to inquire about your plans for Jotunheim. I couldn't help but notice you didn't mention them earlier."

Ah. He'd sort of hoped that Loki might _not_ notice that. The last thing Tony wanted to do was bring up that subject around him. No one else seemed to have noticed Tony's lack of plans for that realm. He really should've figured that Loki would catch on. His younger brother had always been way too sharp for his own good. Tony gave an internal sigh. On the outside, he put on the 'please the crowd' smile that he'd perfected at Frigga's knee. "Ah. You noticed that, did you?"

Loki gave Tony a look that clearly asked just how stupid Tony thought he was.

It drew a chuckle from Tony. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Pardon me, _Your Highness_."

"We are allies, are we not?"

"Oh, like you're sharing all your plans with _me_ ," Tony fired back. He had absolutely no doubt in his mind that Loki had plans of his own. That was just how the mage worked. Because Tony knew that, he wasn't upset about it, and he quickly waved a hand at Loki before the mage could respond to Tony's words. "No, I get it. We've all got our plans. I know we've both got things we're not telling each other – that's how this whole thing works. But I'm trusting you to tell me what I need to know when the time is right. I'm not trying to fight with you – and I wasn't trying to hide anything with Jotunheim, not really. I'm just not really looking forward to doing it." With a dramatic sigh, Tony slumped down a little more on the couch. "Laufey hates me. I'm not eager to go talk to him."

There was a brief pause. Something contemplative flashed through Loki's eyes. Then the green there was shuttered once more, and his tone was perfectly even as he said, "Luckily for you, Laufey is dead." There was only a small pause for Tony to digest that surprise before another one, even bigger this time, was thrust on him. "I killed him."

Horror lit Tony's face. He found himself sitting up before he could think about it and blurting out "You killed your…" Quickly, mentally cursing himself, Tony cut off his sentence.

He didn't do it fast enough. The very air felt like it pulsed with Loki's open shock. Almost immediately it was followed by rage. In the blink of an eye, Loki was gone from his chair and overtop Tony. One hand closed over Tony's throat and pressed down hard to pin him against the couch while the rest of the trickster's body held him firmly in place. Tony didn't try fighting it. He lay there with Loki stretched out over him and stared up into the angry eyes above his. Green magic crackled like flames in Loki's eyes. " _Who told you_?"

"No one," Tony said truthfully. He felt Loki's hand clench just a little bit tighter. Tony didn't bother trying to get away from it. He held Loki's stare and spoke calmly. "Your brother told me nothing, Loki."

This time the clench of Loki's hand was enough to start to cut off Tony's air. "He's not my brother!" Loki snarled at him.

Those words were far too close to ones that Tony had dreamed of hearing far too many times. _You're no brother of mine!_ He'd heard those words in his nightmares – had been terrified of hearing them one day turned his way outside his dreams. Because of that, the response Tony gave was a lot more vehement than it might've otherwise been. "Finding out you're adopted doesn't make him any less your brother." Tony glared up at him. How dare Loki act like being adopted meant that suddenly they weren't family anymore. Would he still feel the same way about Tony if he remembered who he was?

"You have no idea of what you speak," Loki hissed, leaning in until their faces were just inches apart. "Until then, keep your mouth _shut_."

There was really no excuse for Tony's reaction to Loki's words. Loki had no idea who Tony really was; he didn't know that this was his brother he was speaking to. Still, Tony couldn't stop his temper from rising up. With a surge of body and magic that caught Loki entirely off guard, Tony shoved them both up and flipped them completely until their positions were reversed. He pinned Loki's hands down onto the couch with his knees and bent himself low so that their faces were close once more. Tony's hand was the one around Loki's throat, now, and he clenched down in a warning for the younger one to keep quiet.

Magic crackled furiously between them. Tony knew his own eyes were flashing now and he didn't bother trying to stop it. He just let it glow there as he glared down at the hot-headed fool underneath him. "You're in _my_ house, Loki Laufeyson, and you'd do well to remember it. No one silences me." _Not ever again._ "I was under the impression I'd made an alliance with a strong adult, not a whimpering child who lashes out just because they hear words they don't like."

"I am no _child_!" Loki snapped, his voice echoing with the sound of cracking ice, deep and dangerous.

Tony sneered at him. "Then quit acting like one. I'm older than you, and I've seen horrors beyond imagining. I've walked the realms completely and utterly alone, devoid of any family, believing every single one of them had turned their back on me. I would've done _anything_ to have just _one_ person on my side. And here you are, throwing away an entire family because of the actions of _one_." Holding just a bit tighter to prevent Loki from interrupting him, Tony growled at his little brother. "Any fool with eyes can see that Thor loves you. It doesn't matter to him if you're Æsir, Jotun, or a spotted pink cat. Your brother is an idiot, and too hot-headed for his own good, but he loves you with every single inch of himself. Be as angry as you want, but don't sit there and deny to me what others would kill to have."

Before Tony could spill too much more, he shoved himself up off the couch in one quick move. It was an effort to keep himself back; to keep from stepping forward once more and spilling more things. Things that Loki couldn't know.

The mage lay there for a moment and stared up at Tony with uncomprehending eyes. Then, between one blink and the next, he was gone.

Tony fought hard not to let out the sigh that wanted to slip free. Dammit. That hadn't gone at all how he'd wanted it to go. He hadn't planned on blowing up at Loki like that; it wasn't going to do them any good. It was just – Loki had hit so many damn buttons, even if he hadn't realized it or hadn't meant to.

When Tony looked up, he was abruptly reminded that he wasn't the only one in the room. Everyone was watching him. They had no idea what was going on thanks to Loki's spell – it'd hidden their words and disguised their lips – but it hadn't done anything about the furious crackle of magic in the air. _At least the couch back blocked them from seeing us pinning one another._ Tony pushed away thoughts of pinning, both what he wished had happened and what had actually happened, and smiled brightly at the others. "Is that spaghetti I smell?"

Steve's eyebrows had furrowed a bit, and he was watching Tony with something that might've been concern, Tony wasn't entirely sure.

What he _did_ know was that he didn't want to hear it. Before Steve could do more than open his mouth, Tony was rambling while he made his way over towards them. "I didn't even know we had the stuff to make spaghetti! J, buddy, did you order up food when you ordered the rest of their stuff?"

"Of course, sir," JARVIS answered. "I've heard that humans need to eat at least three times a day to be healthy."

There was enough snark in that to have Tony grinning up at one of JARVIS's cameras. "Someone's feeling lippy today."

"I am as you made me, sir."

Tony had hoped that the others would catch the hint that he didn't want to talk about what had just happened. He really didn't want to try and explain any of it to them. But of course, he couldn't be that lucky. _Of course_. The others only waited until they were all sitting down at the table before they ambushed him. It was Steve who spoke first, and to be fair, the man was probably too nice to think of what he was doing as an ambush. There was an honest concern in his eyes as he looked at Tony and asked him "Are you okay, Mr. Stark?"

A slight grimace twisted Tony's features. He wiped it away as quickly as he could and lifted a fork to point it at Steve. "How many times are we gonna go over this, Cap?" Twirling the fork back to point at himself, he firmly said "Tony. Even 'Stark' works if you want. No more of this 'Mr. Stark' business." He had a feeling Steve was going to have a hard enough time separating Tony from Howard; no need to make it even more difficult for the man.

"Fine, _Tony_." Steve made a point of stressing his name. He rolled his eyes when Tony grinned at him and just kept going, pushing the point that Tony was trying to distract from. "Are you all right? Things seemed a bit... tense."

That was one word for it. Tense was a bit of an understatement, though. Tony knew that he'd well and truly pissed Loki off back there; just like he knew there was still some of his own temper running underneath the surface. He and Loki had always been like that with one another. For the most part, they shared very similar views on things. When they didn't, they had a tendency to get extremely defensive of their side of things, which led to shouting and the occasional furious pranks played on one another. It'd drove everyone else mad, yet also had them breathe a sigh of relief, at least for a while. Because while the two fought, their pranks were against one another, not against anyone else. It was when they made up again that the whole of Asgard would grow anxious; the two often made up for their lack of pranks by being exceptionally busy for a little while.

Tony shook his head, realizing that he'd drifted off into his thoughts a bit. When he cleared his eyes, he found the others had all served their plates already, and they were watching him with concern. Clint and Natasha hid it better than the others. Bruce and Steve were both open, though Bruce ducked his head down, trying to at least conceal his worried glances behind shaggy bangs.

Great. Drifting off like that had only seemed to cement their worry. He wasn't going to be able to deny that there was something wrong. That meant he was going to have to downplay it as best as he could. "It's fine," Tony said, reaching out to serve himself up a plate of spaghetti. It smelled _amazing_. "Loki and I just had a difference of opinion, that's all. Tends to happen when you get two people in the same room with egos as big as ours." At that, he flashed them all a grin, getting a few chuckles from Bruce and Clint at least. Steve looked unsure of what to think, and Natasha's gaze was far too shrewd for Tony's comfort.

Downplaying wasn't working all that well. Time to try another tactic - redirection.

"So, Cap, you get a chance to get some things figured out?" Tony asked. He drew his plate close and rested one elbow on the table, his wrist coming up to rest against his shoulder, while he scooped up his first bite with the fork in his other hand. "I've got some time tonight before I have to do anything. We can go over whatever training you've got figured out, and I'll see what I can add in. We'll want to make sure everyone gets trained on fighting a bit above their weight class. Thanos and whatever bastards he brings with him are probably going to be a hell of a lot stronger than anything you guys have come up against." A thought came to him, and Tony hummed a little, taking time to think while he chewed. "We should focus on regular training first, get everyone up to level and figure out how to work together. Once we get that, then we could step it up a bit. Show you guys how to fight against someone a lot stronger than you."

"That's what I was thinking," Steve said. "Knowing how to fight is all well and good; it won't help us, though, if we can't manage to fight as a team."

Tony nodded his agreement. Much as he tended to work alone, that wasn't really his preference. He'd spent most of his life fighting with his brothers at his side or at his back. The only reason Tony had fought alone up until now was that he wasn't sure he could ever trust anyone enough to fight with them like he had with his brothers. But now... now he was going to have both his brothers with him, plus a whole new set of people, and there wasn't going to be any room for personal feelings getting in the way.

His thoughts were interrupted when Natasha spoke up. "We should set up assessments so that we know what we're working with and where we need to improve."

The blatant manipulation in that had Tony fighting back a smile. Natasha wasn't lying - assessing everyone would let them know where they needed to improve, plus help them figure out ways to best put them all together - but he wasn't stupid enough to believe that was her only reason for suggesting it. Now that SHIELD knew the truth about Tony, they were going to want as much information as possible. Natasha and Clint were in the perfect position to gather that information. Tony knew it; he'd known it from the instant he'd agreed to let them stay here.

However, having them here with him meant that Tony could control what information they got, and it also meant that he could work on shifting their loyalty some. The team would fight together better if they were friendly with one another. If that had the added bonus of making them more loyal to him than SHIELD, well, so be it.

Tony flashed a bright grin at Natasha that was geared to set her on edge. "That sounds like a great idea."

Suspicion flashed in her eyes. Beside her, Clint looked like he was torn between worrying and rolling his eyes. With a grin, Tony scooped up another bite, a lot more relaxed than he'd been when he first sat down. He pushed back any thoughts about his fight with Loki, plus his worries about what things would be like when Loki came back, and focused instead on the fun he always found in verbally screwing with anyone. The rest of it would work itself out in the long run.

He hoped.

* * *

It took a while for Steve and Tony to wrap up their meeting. They were supposed to have had it that first night that the team came to the tower, but too much else had gotten in the way, and Steve had asked for time to go over team files. He wanted a chance to get to know some of the stats of his teammates and try to use that to build a decent training plan for them all.

Tony could've told him those files were one giant pile of bullshit, but... no one asked him. Let Rogers figure it out on his own. He'd learn soon enough that a file could only tell you so much about a person. The rest, you had to see for yourself.

By the time the two finished discussing training regimens - which would be announced the next day, and that Tony was sure the rest of the team wasn't going to be fond of - it was late enough that Tony decided to bypass the workshop entirely and just head to bed. His brain was way too full to be working on anything right now anyway. Not unless he wanted to risk injuring himself in the process.

Tony knew others thought he was too reckless with himself and even more so in the workshop. None of them had known just how durable Tony was or how safe he could keep himself. Just like they had no idea that his actual physiology allowed him to go longer than a human without food or sleep. Tony knew his limits, and he knew how far he could push himself. And if he got too caught up in his work and lost track of time, or was too stressed and exhausted or injured to make any sort of decision about his safety, JARVIS could take over and lock him out no matter what protests Tony gave. Even if Tony gave the override commands, if it were a matter of Tony's safety, and certain parameters were met, JARVIS could actually ignore those codes.

It was a little something Tony had given to him when he'd started to realize just how advanced JARVIS was getting. Really, he was as much a person as the rest of them, only without the physical body to go with it. He'd been made by Tony's brilliant, grief-fueled mind, and a need to not be alone, and encouraged along by coding that was laced with touches of Tony's magic

Tony was thinking about all that as he got himself ready for bed. By the time he was stripped down and slipping between the sheets, his thoughts had followed that trail to a much less pleasant place.

This war they were starting - and make no mistake, this _was_ a war, and the stakes of it were higher than any fight Tony had ever been in - ran the risk of getting any one of them killed. Even if they managed to save the Nine Realms from Thanos, there were going to be causalities. There was no getting around that. There were always causalities in war.

If something were to happen to Tony and he didn't make it back home, who was going to take care of things? Who'd look after his kids? JARVIS, the bots, they wouldn't do well on their own. Just the idea of them sitting here stagnant without anyone to care for them... or, worse, falling into SHIELD's hands when Tony wasn't around to protect them anymore... it made Tony want to throw up. No, no, he wasn't going to leave their fate to just anyone. There were only a select few he'd trust with his family and his life. Those people could fit on one hand.

Folding his hands behind his head, Tony stared up at the ceiling, letting thoughts turn round and round in his head. "Hey, J, start a new file for me, would you?"

JARVIS's voice was low and smooth, just the perfect volume for the quiet and mostly dark bedroom. "And what shall I call it, sir?"

"Actually, make that two. Call the first one Genesis and the second..." Tony trailed off as he thought about it. His lips twitched up into a wry smile. "Call it Ragnarok."

The room fell silent for a moment as JARVIS processed Tony's words. He was smart; he'd know what those meant. JARVIS always understood the meaning behind the names that Tony gave things, even if no one else did. After a long pause, JARVIS gave a hesitant "Sir?"

Tony turned to where he knew one of JARVIS's cameras was at. He knew the look on his face was sad, yet he tried to put as much love into it as he could. That might not be an emotion he was as comfortable with anymore, but it was one he'd never deny feeling for JARVIS, or for any of his bots. "It's the smart thing to do, J. We both know there's a chance I'm not coming home from this." If he didn't die in battle... well, Tony held no illusions that he'd be able to keep his secret through the whole war. The best he could hope for was to be able to run far enough and fast enough to get away before Odin could catch him. If not, he might as well be dead.

Genesis would hold all the information of what to do if Tony had to run. In the event of his disappearance, he could set up a system for his loved ones to follow. Some way to keep them safe and connect them back to him at a later date. If he was dead... if he was killed, Tony wanted to make sure everything fell into the hands of someone he could trust.

With that in mind, Tony took a deep breath and started to prepare for the worst. He didn't want to have to think about it, but if that moment came, he was going to be ready.


	7. Chapter 7

Days went by after Loki's little disappearing act. With each new one that passed, bringing no word from Loki _or_ from Thor, Tony couldn't keep his worry from growing.

Every day felt like torture as he waited to see if _this_ were the day the Bifrost would open here. If this would be the day the Allfather would come riding through and finish the job he'd started hundreds of years ago. All it would take was one wrong word from Thor, something that would make the Allfather suspicious, and Tony's whole world could come crumbling down. He was prepared and warded against Heimdall watching here, and he knew how to carry his illusions and wards strong enough to keep from being noticed outside of his tower, but Tony knew he didn't stand a chance if Odin himself came down here.

There were so many things that could go wrong. So many bad things that could happen. What had Thor told Odin? What were they doing all this time in Asgard? Time between the realms flowed differently, but if he was just returning the Tesseract, why wasn't he back yet? What if Odin decided that he wanted to conduct peace negotiations on his own? Right now Tony was counting on him using Thor since Thor had a connection to them all. But what if the Allfather wanted to do it himself? What if he came to Earth?

And Loki... why hadn't Loki checked in? Was he all right? Was he still furious with Tony? Granted, their contract with one another meant that they still had to work together, that they couldn't betray one another, but it didn't mean that they had to interact all that much with each other. Tony shouldn't have pushed him so hard. He shouldn't have pushed those buttons.

He _knew_ Loki. Even with the centuries that had gone by since they last saw one another, the changes that had no doubt happened during that time, Tony knew him. He knew that pushing Loki on sensitive topics was stupid. You had to work up to it, gradually try and get your point across. The way he'd done things - that might've worked if Loki still knew who he was. But to Loki, Tony was a stranger. Someone that he barely knew. _Of course_ he didn't react well to it!

Tony spent most of the week cursing himself and his brothers in turn.

There were so many things that could go wrong. It left Tony edgy and almost constantly on alert. Sleep was hard to come by, and when he did manage to get some, it was plagued with nightmares. Old fears rising up to taunt him.

The only thing that granted Tony any sort of peace was work. He threw himself into making better suits for himself, better equipment for his team, and he built plan after plan.

If there was one thing that Tony knew how to do, and do well, it was making plans. What he and the other Avengers had built during their little meeting was just the start of the plans that needed to be made to protect their world from Thanos. Alliances had to be formed, treaties negotiated and signed, troops trained – the list of things that had to be done, sometimes felt endless. Yet, practically from birth, Tony had been trained to think about these kinds of things. To plan for them.

There was a reason he'd done so well in the war business as Tony Stark, and it wasn't just because he had Howard Stark for a father.

From almost the moment that he'd been taken from the cradle, Anto Odinson had been raised to be the perfect second son. He'd always known that Thor was going to be King one day. That he'd be the one to sit on the throne of Asgard and rule over them. And, honestly, that was fine. Anto hadn't wanted to be King. He'd been quite content to be at Thor's side. All three of them – once Loki came along – were trained on how to be King, just in case something happened to the brother ahead of them in line, but for the most part, their roles had been so clearly defined right from the start. Thor would be King, Loki would be his Advisor, and Anto would be the General.

They were roles that suited them. Thor was a warrior, through and through, with a lust for battle. But he also had a huge heart. One that cared far more than he let on. There was no doubt Thor cared about the people of Asgard. About his friends and his family. He just… had always loved war, too. The honor that went with it. The _fun_ he found in fighting. They were a warrior society, and Thor had been the perfect embodiment of that. That didn't mean that was all he was, though. While Thor liked to fight, yes, and was often far too hot-headed for his own good, he was also known for being kind to just about everyone he met. No one spent time with Thor that he didn't treat as if they were long-lost friends. He won his people over with strength and charm both, without ever even trying.

Loki was entirely different from his eldest brother. He much preferred to work from the shadows, pulling strings here and there to get what he wanted. Granted, part of that might've come from the fact that he'd been the odd one out for quite a while, and his magic made other Asgardians uncomfortable. In Asgard, he wasn't the most highly revered. People had often looked down on him for practicing magic – women's work – and because he wasn't big and brawny and a fighter like Thor. In response, Loki's tricks had only gotten worse, and his tongue sharper. Yet, outside of Asgard, where magic was more often something _acceptable_ , Loki had shown time and time again that the nickname 'Silvertongue' was well earned. He'd talked them out of plenty of trouble.

Then there was Anto. The middle child, the second son, and just as much of an odd duck as Loki. More so, in some ways. Because while Loki had grown up not knowing of the heritage hidden under the illusion on his skin, Anto _had._ He'd known from the start who he was. He'd known that Frigga wasn't actually his mother – that his mother had been a conquest during the war. He was part elf, part Æsir, and sometimes felt like he belonged in neither. But it didn't push him to the shadows the way that Loki went. No, Anto fought it in his own way. He lifted his chin and drove himself, over and over, to be _better_. To be _more._ They wanted to laugh at him? He'd show them. He practiced his magic with Frigga, and then later he even went to other realms to study with them – taking Loki with him, often. He also practiced the art of war and vowed to make himself the best general that Thor would ever need.

Anto had learned exactly what his father had wanted him to. It never quite managed to be enough, not for Odin and not for some of the people in Asgard, but he'd won over others. He'd been loved, at least by some. And he'd been good at what he did. With Loki and Anto at Thor's sides, his rule over Asgard would've been beautiful.

It was those parts of himself that Tony found creeping to the surface as he tried to plot out a way to protect them all from the threat of Thanos.

Losing himself in these plans allowed Tony to at least try and keep himself distracted. Surprisingly, having the team living with him helped as well. Tony found himself getting along with them for the most part.

He and Bruce clicked – literally _no one_ was surprised by that one. The two were often found lost together in science binges that required Steve to come down and pull them free once in a while just so they'd do things like eat or shower. It was amazing for Tony to find a mind like Bruce's that was capable of actually keeping up with him most of the time. He loved every single second that they spent down in the lab or workshop together.

Steve was… well, Steve was Steve. Once you got past the 'Captain America' shell and down to the man inside, he was a lot more laid back than Tony had expected, and also a lot more open to things. Or, _some_ things. Getting him to accept some parts of technology was proving to be one hell of an interesting effort. Tony had secretly put Natasha in charge of educating Steve on the current times, but tech was Tony's area, and he tried to get Steve as caught up as possible. They worked together pretty well, for the most part. Steve was pretty easy to subtly direct, though he dug his heels in about the strangest of things. He was a lot more 'white hat' than Tony was used to dealing with. Still, it was a pleasure to get to know him. To realize that he wasn't as naive as Tony had thought he was. He just needed guidance - guidance that _wasn't_ Nick Fury.

Surprisingly, it was the two super spies that Tony got on with the best. Tony had thought for sure they'd be the ones that he'd butt heads with the most. Two spies living in his home, trained in seeing what others didn't; trained in ferreting out secrets... Tony should've been terrified to be near them, to have them poke and prod and find out the things he wanted to keep hidden from everyone. But instead of that, he found himself... liking them. There was just something about them that Tony found easy to be around, even when he could see they were trying to poke at him.

At least they were good at what they did, for humans. They were a good team. Natasha knew when to push, and Clint knew when to let things go and allow Tony his peace. Together, they managed him probably a little too well, if he allowed himself to think about it. Almost better than Pepper. With them, it became a sort of game, all three of them knowing exactly what the other was doing, the manipulation that was happening on all sides, and each one trying to out-do the other. It was _fun_.

What made it even better was, three days after they moved in, Natasha calmly looked at Tony over coffee and told him "You're quite the master of illusions. I only ever saw what you wanted me to see, didn't I?"

"Pretty much," Tony answered, just as bluntly as her.

She'd given him a small nod, a hint of a smile, and that was it. There was no formal apology or anything like that. Just an acknowledgment of past mistakes and a desire to move on. Tony could appreciate that. Apologies weren't really something that he was all that great at, either. Besides, Tony couldn't find it in him to be all that mad at her. He'd known about her deception from the start – what kind of mage would he be if he hadn't? – and he'd understood that she was there on orders, and to help. To be honest, he'd liked her, too. Not just as Natalie, but afterward, for that brief bit as Natasha.

Her partner wasn't so bad, either. Neither one of them treated Tony weird just because he was different. The snarked at him, threatened him, joked with him. Clint never cared about how physical Tony could be, either, which was a huge plus in Tony's books. He'd always been a bit more physical than most. His Mother, Frigga, had once told him it was because of his elf half. Elves were naturally more physical.

Whatever it was, Tony had always liked touch, and he loved it more when he got close to someone. Clint didn't seem to have an issue indulging that. Natasha did, but Tony wasn't egotistical enough to think that was because of _him_. She had her own past just like the rest of them. It made what little touches she did allow seem all the more meaningful.

"You're like a giant cat," Clint told Tony just a few days after they moved in. He said it after the engineer came and draped himself over the couch and Clint both so he could whine at him about being bored - not mentioning that he'd been too caught in his own head and needed someone to distract him. Clint hadn't tried to push Tony off or acted like he was disgusted by being touched. Nor had Clint felt the need to assert his masculinity somehow as if it'd been threatened by cuddling with another dude. In fact, he'd actually pet at Tony's hair, which was quite frankly _awesome_.

Tony had known almost from the get-go that he was going to get along with Clint. The guy was just as snarky as Tony, caught pretty much all his references, and had a tendency to be an asshole. It was like a match made in Heaven. The two snarked at one another and poked at each other and then would sit down and watch shitty TV together.

Clint was officially his favorite non-science-bro.

One of the best parts that Tony was discovering about this duo was their lack of expectations.

Neither one of them expected Tony to be anything but what he was. They didn't curb his language, or try to force him out of the labs, or insist on regular eating and sleeping schedules, though they weren't afraid to bring food to him and poke at him to eat. They didn't force him out when he was working like Steve sometimes tried to do.

Steve did all that because it was his way of caring about someone, Tony knew. He wasn't trying to annoy Tony. If anything, Steve was trying to make him take care of himself. This was just how he knew how to take care of people. The fact that it felt patronizing to Tony probably never occurred to the super soldier.

Bruce didn't seem to expect much out of Tony. Then again, he didn't look as if he expected much out of anyone. He was like the kid that everyone had ignored, who couldn't understand why all the cool kids were suddenly talking to him and was waiting for the day it was all going to be taken away again. Tony made it his personal mission to find a way to chase that look out of Bruce's eyes.

The Assassin Twins, however, had a different sort of lack of expectations. It was like they'd accepted that everything SHIELD knew about him was probably a lie and were building their own observations now. They didn't come at him with ideas about how he was supposed to behave or what he should or shouldn't be doing.

Through JARVIS, Tony watched a video of Clint talking to Steve about it one night, just a week after they'd moved in.

"It's a little weird," Steve was saying, stirring whatever it was he was cooking on the stove top. "I'm not saying it's bad or wrong, just weird, that's all."

Clint, who was perched on the nearby countertop, much to Steve's obvious annoyance – it amused Tony more than anything – snorted at him. "That's cause you're trying to judge him by human standards. _American_ human standards. You'll have an easier time once you remember that he's not either one of those things."

"He was raised that way."

"So?" Clint fired back. "I could be raised by polar bears – doesn't make me a polar bear. Besides, Tony wasn't _raised_ by humans. He's just lived a human life. Before that, he had a completely different life. One that probably lasted a hell of a lot longer than this human one. He's not gonna be exactly what you expect him to be. Soon as you realize that, you two are gonna get along a whole lot better."

"You make it seem so easy."

"You do remember what I do, right? Nat and I, it's our _job_ to go into other countries and blend in. I learned how to adapt to different people and different cultures a long time ago. Tony's keeping it mostly human for us, the least we can do is try and take it easy on him when those differences show through, don't you think?"

Tony had told JARVIS to turn the video off after that. He wasn't sure if Clint had meant for him to see that or not. It had _seemed_ real. Either way, it was just another thing in a line of moments that had him liking the archer more and more. It was almost enough to keep Tony from worrying about what was going on with Loki, or with Thor.

Almost.

* * *

A week and a half after Thor left, after Loki vanished on them, Tony was hiding out in his office making a very private phone call. He'd had JARVIS put up every single safety protocol that he could think of to make sure that no one on his end would be able to come in and see or hear him, and no one on the other end would be able to track him down or know just who exactly it was they were talking to. He wasn't ready to make that reveal. Not yet.

While Tony had told the others that he knew Charles Xavier, it wasn't exactly true. Not in the way they thought it was. Charles didn't know _Tony Stark._

He did, however, know Einn.

Einn was a name that Tony had taken during his travels. It literally meant _alone,_ something that he'd felt was appropriate at the time. He'd been a bit more... _dramatic_ back then. But still, the name suited his purposes. Using it allowed him to hide in realms that might've recognized his given name. Though, now Tony couldn't help but wonder. Would anyone have recognized his name? Was whatever spell Odin had done that far-reaching? Or was it just confined to Asgard? Or only to the Royal Family? Tony wouldn't put it past Odin to order all of Asgard to never mention Tony's name again, and then remove any memory of them from his family. Or, more likely, _hide_ those memories. Odin had strong magic; the Odinforce was capable of a lot. But completely removing memories - rewriting _history_ \- that would take a lot more than he was capable of. Not without giving up something immense in return. And Tony didn't see that happening.

It was all too much for Tony to think on right now. Not when he had other things to focus on.

Secure in his office, the glamour around Tony shifted into something that was different from even the look that he'd showed the Avengers and SHIELD. The look that Tony had chosen years ago to show to Charles was different enough from 'Tony Stark' so as not to raise suspicion about the two being connected, while still close enough to himself to feel comfortable. In a way, the look that he took on really was him. Just, not a him that anyone here on earth would know.

Most of the time when Tony changed his looks around it was a spell. A glamour. That was easier for trying to briefly trick someone. He held a glamour over himself, anchored in the arc reactor in his chest, to keep his normal disguise up. The spell he'd initially cast on himself had hidden his actual heritage, but it'd only lasted until Tony got his magic back. After that, he'd had to keep the glamour up himself so that no one would see what he really looked like.

But... elves were skill at changing their looks in entirely different ways. There were some who could change their body, their hair, their eyes, _everything_ , as often as they wanted to. They could just _think_ and become someone else. They could even shift into animals. For a pure elf, it was easy to do.

For Tony, who was only half-elf, the other part of him seemed to make that harder. Shifting like that always came with pain for him. The little things - hair, eyes - those were just momentary, just a brief twinge. But if he wanted to shift his whole body, making himself a different person or an animal or something of the like, it _hurt_. Like Tony could feel every muscle and bone breaking and shifting and changing. That was why Tony preferred to use a glamour most of the time. Shifting hurt too much... all except for one.

Lady Anto.

Frigga had told Tony once that she suspected he had no issue shifting to another gender like that because it was just as much a part of him as this one was. That he wasn't changing _himself_ , so to speak. He was just giving shape to a different aspect of himself. It'd always made sense to him; sometimes Tony had felt male. Sometimes female. Sometimes, he'd felt like neither. Growing up, he'd been free to be whatever suited his mood.

When Tony had made the decision to meet Charles Xavier, it'd taken a bit to figure out how. But in the end, Tony had decided that he wanted to do it as true to himself as possible. Since Tony couldn't show his actual form, he went for the next best thing.

Making the shift now was as natural as breathing. When Tony opened his eyes, it was easy to feel the difference. The change in curves, the fullness of his chest. It was easy for Tony to shift his posture to adjust to it all. While he wasn't feeling feminine today, it was still easy enough to fix his mindset just enough to make it believable.

Because this was essentially a feminine version of himself, there were quite a few things that stayed the same. Tony's hair was still a dark brown, though it hung below his shoulders in curling waves, and his eyes were their natural brown with silver flecks. The points of his ears showed just slightly through his hair. Unlike with the Avengers, Tony didn't bother changing his skin to something _different_. He let it be his natural tanned, almost golden shade, and he didn't bother hiding the sharper cheekbones or the more delicate structure to his body that clearly labeled him an elf. He was still short, with a small form and big eyes that had drawn many a man in, only for them to suddenly discover the frighteningly sharp mind hidden underneath it all.

This was how Charles knew him. This was how the two had been introduced years and years ago when Tony had contacted the man to offer him some quiet help. There'd been a few mutants that Tony had met over the years, and Charles was the best place to send those that were looking for help. Tony came to him as Einn offering help, some private funding, and the occasional transport in sticky situations. From there, a surprising friendship had grown between them.

Tony hoped that friendship would be enough for Charles to believe what he was about to tell him.

Only when Tony had settled in comfortably did he finally have JARVIS place the call. He sat back in his chair and trusted to JARVIS to make sure the video wouldn't show anything too incriminating. _Not that it matters anymore. Isn't that the thing here? Letting Charles in on some of the truth?_ It'd certainly make it easier for them to all work together. If he continued to be Einn to the man, the best he'd be able to do would be to warn Charles of what was coming and get him preparing his side for it. But if Tony revealed himself as Tony Stark, if he played this just right, not only would he have Charles and the X-Men preparing for what was coming, he'd also have a reliable ally on _his_ side. One who would work well with him come time to fight.

There was a risk in letting Charles know, of course. Tony had kept this secret for a reason. But the benefits far outweighed the risks. No matter what, if they wanted to work together to fight in the future, Iron Man and Professor X were going to need to collaborate. That would go a lot smoother if Charles knew the truth of who Tony was, and knew it with enough time to get over any shock or hurt or mistrust that might crop up.

 _I've kept this secret for such a long time, and now it's like everyone's finding out_. Tony tried not to analyze just how panicked that made him feel.

"I'm almost afraid to ask what's happened." The sound of Charles's voice startled Tony out of his thoughts. It drew his focus to the screen in front of him where Charles was at; the man was clearly sitting at his desk, a window and some bookshelves behind him. The same warm welcome was on his face that had always been there, only it was tempered right now by concern. "It must be serious to have you looking like that."

Tony's lips twitched into a wry smile. He allowed just a bit of his exhaustion to show at the edges of it. "You've got no idea, Chuck."

"Is this a personal call? Or do you need help?"

The fact that he made that offer without hesitation and with such open honesty on his face had Tony's smile becoming a bit more real. "A bit of both? With a little bit of business thrown in." He sighed heavily and reached up to brush some of his hair back from his face. "We should probably get the business part out of the way. The rest will come... after."

Charles nodded. Then he folded his hands on his desk and fixed his full attention on Tony's image. "I'm listening."

 _Best get this over with._ With a deep breath, Tony bluntly laid it all out at Charles' feet. "Recently, there was almost an alien attack in New York. It was stopped in time, so we're safe for right now - but we don't know for how long. The guy behind it, he's the biggest bad you'll ever see, Chuck, and he's hell-bent on coming to earth to get some things and probably destroy most of the planet in the process. Then, he'll use earth as the gateway it is to get to the rest of the Nine Realms."

Because of their friendship, and what little Tony had told him, Charles knew about the existence of aliens. He knew that Tony was an elf, and that he had no home and no family, and that he'd gone through a lot before coming to earth. Because of that, he didn't flinch at the words 'alien attack' or the idea that aliens were coming. Instead, his sharp mind focused right on what was important. "What is this being coming after?"

"They're called Infinity Stones. And he'll stop at nothing to get them, Chuck. He wants the power that comes with them, and the destruction. It's all part of some sick courtship thing he's got with Lady Death." Tony waved a hand through the air. "None of that really matters. What matters is that he's coming, and if we don't prepare ourselves, he's going to destroy everyone and everything."

"How much time do we have?"

Tony drew his bottom lip in between his teeth. Then he sighed. "I don't know yet. I've got... I've got someone who's working on it. As soon as they know, I'll let you know. But right now we're thinking at least a few years. Hopefully, it'll be enough time to get everyone organized. This threat... it goes beyond just earth. If Thanos takes earth, there'll be no stopping him from going and causing destruction to the rest of the Nine Realms. We're the gateway between them and the rest of space. If we fall..." Everyone falls. Their only chance was to stand together, here, on earth. Or, to take it to the skies above the planet. But Tony knew they couldn't let Thanos win. If he did, everything and everyone was doomed. There'd be no hiding from him.

The video call went quiet for a moment as Tony's words sank in. He knew that Charles was smarter than the average man; he'd take Tony's words in and likely see far more to them than anyone else. He'd also be able to cope with them better than most.

Tony was once again broken from his thoughts when Charles finally spoke again. The man's eyes locked on Tony and held there, serious and strong. "This is a threat that all of us need to be prepared for. You know I'll do my best here on my end to make my people ready. If you have anything you can give us, anything that might help us better prepare, I would be very eager to hear it."

"Yeah, I can do that." Tony nodded quickly. "Your team is probably the best prepared already. You're used to fighting each other, or other mutants, which means you're pretty used to fighting people who're bigger and stronger than you. That's going to be one of the biggest things here. No matter who Thanos brings with him, everyone is going to have to remember that there's a pretty good chance they'll be bigger, stronger, faster, and agiler than all of you. Not always..." Unable to help himself, Tony smirked. "...I can't wait to see the Hulk take on a few of them. He's going to have fun smashing the ever-loving hell out of these bastards."

Charles contemplated Tony for a long moment before he spoke again. When he did, his words were slow and heavy with the kind of understanding Tony rarely found anywhere else. "I get the feeling you have more planned for us than a simple video instruction. What else is going on, Einn?"

No more holding back, it looked like. Charles always had been smart, he'd had plenty of time to figure out how to read Tony. He knew quite a few pieces to Tony's life, even if he didn't know the whole picture, or how it all fit together. This... this was going to answer some of that for him.

"If we're going to do this, if we're all going to work together to try and save the world... I'm not going to be able to keep hiding like this." Tony waved one hand in a gesture meant to encompass their video call. Then he ran his hand through his hair. "I'm just... I'm not looking forward to letting go. I've had to open up so much of myself to people lately, Chuck. Used to be that no one knew anything about who I really was. Now? Now, _SHIELD_ knows."

"SHIELD knows who you are?" Charles looked alarmed by the idea.

Not that Tony could blame him. Most of the time it terrified him, too. "I didn't get much choice. They called together a group of super-powered people to try and stop the incoming alien invasion. There was... it involved some people I used to know, and I had to use my powers to help one of them."

"Are you safe?"

The fact that Charles asked that warmed something inside of Tony. He had no doubt his friend would be here as quickly as possible if Tony's answer were no. That made it easy for Tony to smile and nod. "Yeah, Chuck. I'm safe." He knew why Charles was asking, too. The man didn't know all the details, but he knew a little of Tony's history. He knew that Tony had been chased away from his family, and he knew some of the reason why. Hearing that Tony was around people he used to know had to have set off his worry.

Charles was too polite to come right out and ask any of the questions that Tony knew he had to be thinking. That meant that it was going to be up to Tony to just come right out and say it before they spent all day going back and forth. _Quit whining about it and just do it!_ With that firm admonishment, Tony took a deep breath and hoped he wasn't making yet another mistake. Then, without saying a word, he reached inside of himself and let his body once more make that shift.

When he felt himself switching back to his male form, he didn't even have to think about it as the glamour settled in with it. His arc reactor was no longer hidden, and the spell with it made him appear just as human as he usually did.

Tony took one last deep breath and then brought his eyes up to once more look at his friend. He'd prepared himself for all sorts of reactions. For Charles to be upset, angry, hurt, betrayed.

What he hadn't prepared himself for was... nothing? There was no anger on Charles' face. No hurt, no betrayal. Not even a hint of surprise. The man was just watching him with a small smile on his face. One that made it abundantly clear... "You knew."

"I suspected," Charles admitted easily. "It wasn't until after Afghanistan that I knew. Having you go missing on me, it wasn't uncommon. We've gone months without talking. But having you missing during the time Tony Stark was in Afghanistan, and then calling me just weeks after his return with obvious signs of trauma and more nightmares? I put the pieces together."

He'd known. Charles had known. That was all Tony could seem to think of. Charles had known - had figured it out on his own - since Afghanistan. If he'd figured it out, were there others? Was there anyone else out there who might know? And just how much did Charles _actually_ know? How many of Tony's secrets had he figured out?

Tony hadn't realized he was edging towards a panic attack until JARVIS spoke up, his voice warm and soothing as it always was. "Sir, might I suggest taking a deep breath? You're showing all the signs of an impending panic attack."

The dry way in which JARVIS said that, the simple statement of facts delivered in that calm and steady British tone, was exactly what Tony needed. Others might not have liked or approved of the way that Tony and JARVIS handled things. But it worked for them. JARVIS had learned through trial and error just how to help Tony in these situations. Unfortunately, panic attacks were rather common for him.

One deep breath in, then slowly back out. Another deep breath and Tony felt some of his tension fade away as he let that breath back out. "Thanks, buddy."

"Of course, sir," JARVIS said.

There was no time for Tony to turn his attention back to Charles. No time for him to sit and talk about what had just happened, or where they were going to go from here. As soon as Tony opened his mouth to do so, he felt the distinct feel of magic against his shields. It was familiar magic, so it wasn't stopped.

Loki had just teleported onto the common floor.

It was easy enough to convince Charles he had to go. The man must've been able to sense that something was going on. Within minutes, Tony had ended the video call. One last pause to check that his glamour was in place and nothing was leaking through, and then Tony was teleporting himself out of his office and onto the common floor.

* * *

Tony wasn't all that surprised to discover that Loki was the only one in the room when he got there. He'd deliberately chosen when others were busy to make his call to Charles. It made sense that none of them were here when Loki arrived. With the room empty, it left Tony free to just take a minute and lean against the wall he'd appeared by while he observed his younger brother.

Whatever had happened while he was gone, Loki didn't look injured. Not that that meant much. It wouldn't exactly be hard for Loki to hide it. But, there were no visible injuries, no obvious signs of trouble. Tony was going to hold on to that. If anything, Loki looked completely put together as he sat at the bar, pouring himself a glass of what seemed to be elven wine.

Loki didn't look away from the glass he was pouring as he called out "Would you care to drink with me, Stark?"

There was no animosity in Loki's tone. No threat in his magic. _So, we're pretending our argument never happened. That's great. It won't backfire on us at all_ , Tony thought sourly. Still, he could admit he was a bit relieved not to have to hash everything out. Tony was free to smile and push himself off the wall, strolling over to join Loki at the bar. Still, Tony wouldn't be Tony if he didn't _push_ just a little. "Depends, Laufeyson - what're we drinking to?"

Only a small twitch gave away Loki's discomfort. Green eyes flashed up towards Tony when the other man reached him and then dropped back down once more to focus as Loki grabbed another glass. "I'd prefer Liesmith, actually. It... amuses me."

Tony's smile grew just a little bit. He couldn't help it. While he'd argue over and over about Thor's love for Loki, no matter the countless mistakes made on either side, he wasn't going to deny Loki the ability to disown either father figure. Odin was, well, _Odin_ , and that said enough in Tony's books - and Laufey really wasn't someone that Tony would've personally wanted to lay claim to. Tony had met him and, as he'd told Loki, they hadn't liked one another all that much. His name choice, though... "I've got a book you should check out later, Low-Key."

If Loki noticed the slight shift in pronunciation, he didn't comment on it, and Tony just laughed softly to himself. A moment later Loki was handing him a glass of wine and then using his own to gesture for Tony to take a seat.

The two ended up with one seat between them. Their bodies were turned towards one another, Loki's legs crossed and Tony's tucked in against the middle stool. They watched one another while sipping on their wine. Two showmen, each trying to read beyond the masks of the other, and neither one of them giving an inch.

Loki's lips gave a small twitch. He hid any sign of a smile behind his glass. Once it drew back down, his smile was gone, but his eyes were serious. "Based on the information I've gathered these past days, I would say we have around three years and two months, give or take a month or two, until the Mad Titan arrives at Earth."

 _Well, fuck_. Any attempts at playfulness vanished. Tony sat up a little straighter and put his focus on Loki. The time for games was done; now it was time to get serious. He ran the numbers through his head in a few quick calculations. "If we time everything just right, we should be able to make it within our timeframe. We'll have to move quickly on getting our allies, though." The necessary peace-talks and negotiations that went with alliances always took the longest. Best they could get them out of the way as quickly as possible.

"We need to plan the order in which we approach them," Loki pointed out.

Yeah, that was a good plan. It wasn't going to look good if they went to, say, Jotunheim before Vanaheim, and Vanaheim found out. They wouldn't be happy about that; most likely they'd consider it a slight. Tony grimaced as he thought of all the politics that were waiting in his future. Just because he'd been trained for it - in both his first life and his human one - didn't mean he _enjoyed_ it. Grimacing, Tony drained off the rest of his glass and then set it down with a small thump. "Norns, I _hate_ politics," he grumbled to himself.

Loki chuckled at him. He reached out with the bottle and refilled Tony's glass, smirking at him as he did. "Such is the life of a leader. At least you recognize its need, unlike... some that I know."

That slight pause made it more than clear what Loki had actually been planning on saying. Hearing it, Tony realized that, no, they weren't going to be able to just pretend that last conversation didn't happen. One of them was going to have to say something about it, and it looked like that someone was going to be Tony. _Great. Just great. There's no way this will go wrong!_ It had to be done, though. This couldn't just fester between them.

"Look, Loki." Once more Tony set his glass down. He kept one hand on it, though, while the rest of him straightened up to fully face Loki. Despite how hard it was, Tony made himself meet the other's eyes, not flinching away at the look he found there. With a deep breath, Tony made himself say what he knew he had to. "I get it - there's a lot of bad blood between you and big brother. I don't care if you've got snarky remarks about him, or if you wanna blast him in whatever way makes you feel better. I'm not blind to the guy's faults, all right? I just... in case you didn't notice, family is a bit of a touchy subject for me. I get why you don't claim Odin, and I don't blame you on that one. It's just, with Thor... so long as you don't sit here arguing about whether or not you two are brothers, I don't care what you have to say. I'm not gonna jump down your throat for it again, all right?"

Loki's eyebrows seemed to go higher and higher the more that Tony spoke. Then, at the end, they furrowed down once more over narrowed eyes.

For a long moment, the two of them sat in silence. Whatever Loki was trying to read off of Tony's face, Tony fought to let him. He didn't squirm away, didn't flinch. He simply sat there and let Loki look at him.

Finally, the other mage gave a small, barely there nod. "We have an agreement, Anthony Stark."


	8. Chapter 8

Tony wasn't the least bit ashamed to task JARVIS with calling Fury to let him know about their updated timeline. He'd trusted his AI to handle more critical conversations than that plenty of times in the past. JARVIS would never give out more information than necessary, and he wouldn't take any of Nick's shit. Plus, having JARVIS do that allowed Tony time to call Charles back and pass along their new timetable, as well as do a little work to adjust the timing of his own plans.

By the time Tony came back out of his office, hours had gone by, and JARVIS let him know that everyone had gathered together for some dinner.

Tony could smell the Chinese food as soon as the elevator doors opened. When he walked out into the central part of the room, he was surprised and pleased to see that, not only were the other Avengers all there, Loki was as well. The group of them were spread out through the living room. Bruce had his own chair, Clint had a couch to himself, Natasha and Steve shared the other couch, and Loki had a chair of his own.

Seeing Loki there was both strange and pleasing. Socializing like this had never been something that Loki particularly enjoyed. He could do it, sure. Loki could work a crowd and schmooze with the best of them. He just... didn't like it. To those that knew how to read his body language, now wasn't any different. Despite him being here, it was clear to Tony that Loki didn't want to be. That he'd likely rather be anywhere else in the Nine Realms than sitting here with the Avengers, sharing a meal. Yet he was still sitting there in his chair, expertly wielding a pair of chopsticks as he ate some noodle dish from a little white box.

Most everyone had food, plus a few extra cartons of take-out were on the coffee table. Aside from Loki, everyone else seemed to be, if not having fun than at least _relaxed_.

The sound of Tony's arrival had everyone looking up towards him. Loki relaxed just the slightest bit at Tony's presence - something that Tony would think on later. If Loki didn't know him, why calm when Tony came in?

As for everyone else, it made Tony smile to see the welcome that was written on the faces of people that, just a few weeks ago, had been strangers. "Hey, Tony," Steve called out, smiling at him. He used the fork in his hand to gesture Tony further in. "Come join us. JARVIS said he ordered your usual for you."

Bless beautiful, amazing AIs who didn't need to be told everything, and who knew him better than anyone. "You're the best kid a guy could ask for, Jarv!" Tony called out.

"Thank you, sir," JARVIS replied warmly. "I aim to please."

Grinning, Tony headed for the empty space on the couch next to Clint, dropping down into it with a dramatic sigh. No one except for Loki even blinked an eye as Tony flopped sideways and draped himself over Clint's lap. The archer just laughed and lifted his takeout tub up so Tony wouldn't knock into it. The grin he gave Tony was big enough to crinkle the corners of his eyes. It warmed his expression and made him a whole lot more approachable. "Well hey there, Stark. How's it goin'?"

Tony gave his most dramatic groan and rolled so that he could bury his face against Clint's stomach. "Don't even ask. Why did I agree to head this little save-the-world plot again?"

"Because you don't want the world to explode?" Bruce offered helpfully. Even without looking, Tony knew the man was smiling at him.

The disgusted sound that Tony let out had a few more people smiling. "I'm sure there're other planets out there. Or I could build us a space colony." Rolling onto his back again put Tony's head back into Clint's lap. The archer responded to it by leaning back a little and kicking his feet up onto the edge of the coffee table. It allowed him to slouch enough to prop his food up on his own chest and not dislodge Tony at the same time. Tony rode out the movement easily, his brain already spinning ahead at the idea of a _space colony_. "You guys gotta admit, it'd be cool. A whole world living in space."

"Just so long as we're not on the back of Star Whale," Natasha said.

Tony's head snapped up, and he twisted to face Natasha so quickly he almost knocked Clint's food over. Clint responded with a loud "Hey!" and immediately pushed Tony's head back down, out of his way. Mouth hanging open in shock, Tony lay there in Clint's lap and just stared at Natasha, who was watching him with amusement. "I think I love you a little right now," Tony told her, voice clearly showing his awe. "In a purely, please-don't-stab-me sort of way."

Above him, Clint snorted. "Should've known you're a Whovian."

Wide eyes turned to look at Clint now. This just kept getting better and better! "You, too? Oh, Birdie, I knew there was a reason you were my favorite."

A grin stretched across Clint's lips. "For that, you get a reward." That said, he used his chopsticks to pick up a dumpling and hold it out to Tony, who took the bite and happily settled back down again.

Only then did he realize the rest of the room was watching them. Natasha still looked amused, though she wasn't saying anything, and Steve looked confused, as did Loki. Bruce was shaking his head and smiling.

When Tony's eyes landed on his brother, Loki arched one eyebrow at him. "Dare I ask?"

"Meh," Tony waved a hand his direction. "I'll introduce you to the joys of Doctor Who later. For now..." He paused, sighing and making sure to visibly shudder. "...we should talk business while we're eating."

"Is there a reason you always feed us while we talk about these things?" Natasha asked him.

Clint shot her a sharp glare and hissed, "Shh!" Then he looked down at Tony and flashed a grin. "Ignore her, man. You can feed us anytime you want to."

Laughter bubbled up Tony's throat as he shook his head at the two of them. Clint never stopped grinning, not even when Natasha hit him in the head with a fortune cookie.

 _Idiots_. It surprised Tony to find just how fond that thought was.

This time, Loki was chuckling along with everyone else. He leaned back in his seat and picked at the box of what looked to be noodles that he was holding. "War meetings always go better when people have a full stomach."

Those words had Tony going still for one brief second. That - that was something that Tony had always said. A personal joke they'd shared together after witnessing the aftermath of a Council meeting that had gone overlong and deprived everyone of food for almost an entire day. The way they'd torn into their food afterward had been appalling. The next day, Tony had made a point to make sure there was food in the Council room, and he'd used magic to make a meal appear on a table to the side of the room during the noontime hour.

When everyone had come from that meeting that afternoon, there'd been laughter and smiles, and Tony had learned a valuable lesson he'd later shared with Loki. War meetings always go better when people have a full stomach.

Tony looked over at Loki, discreetly trying to check his face, but he found nothing there that said Loki recognized where his own words came from. Tony filed that little thought away for later. It bore thinking about - was it just that some things remained in the subconscious, or was it something that came from prolonged exposure to Tony himself? He made a mental note to talk it out with JARVIS later and see if they could work out something to help them keep an eye on it, just in case.

For now, he had to turn his attention back to the room before anyone noticed that he'd gone a bit spacey.

"Loki told us that he was able to pin down a better timeline for us," Steve said, corralling them all in a way that Tony could definitely see becoming a habit. They were kind of like a group of kids when they got together.

"Yeah, _three years._ " Scowling at his own words, Clint absently offered another dumpling down to Tony, who tilted his head to take it. "What happened to that four-year estimate we had before?"

The small twitch of Loki's lips made it clear he wasn't all that fond of being questioned. Yet the resignation in his tone made it clear he'd either expected it or was used to it. "It would appear that the Mad Titan slaughtered half his troops in his rage over my failure. That sped up their travel time considerably."

The whole room fell quiet at that. It was a sobering thought; that someone would slaughter their own army just because they were angry. It also said a lot about how confident Thanos was if he wasn't worried about losing that many people. Either he knew he had more coming, or he was just that sure of his own strength. Neither option was entirely reassuring.

Bruce was the one to finally break the silence that had fallen over them all. "So, we've got three years. Does that change our own plans all that much?"

That was a question that was for Tony, and it brought all eyes to him. He was the one they all knew was making the most plans. Whether he liked it or not, right now Tony was sort of the head of this little group, the one who was directing them all in various ways. He was the one taking the information they brought him and figuring out how to make it all work. The weight of that responsibility wasn't lost on Tony. He tried not to let it push him down. In his voice, he only allowed calm surety show, because the only way they would all stay calm was if he remained calm, too. "It shouldn't mess with too much. I'll need to make my trips a bit closer together, that's all. We want to get our alliances set as quickly as possible so we've got time to get to know one another and trust each other before the war actually starts. Plus, if we have enough time with some of them, we might be able to set up trade." That would definitely help. Dwarven armor would be a huge help for some of their human troops.

"This next bit is going to be rather delicate work," Loki said. His food had been set down, and he once more had a glass of wine in his hand. Tony made a mental note to pick up some more while he was out on his travels. If Loki kept drinking it like this, they'd need to keep it in stock. "Forming alliances with the various realms will not be easy, especially with the animosity that still exists between some of them. We'll need to carefully plot the order in which we approach them so as not to offend anyone, and we'll also need to be prepared for any demands that they might make of us."

"Politics," Tony supplied helpfully. "That's all it is. Politics."

Loki nodded his agreement. "Indeed."

"What that means for us here is that I'm gonna be running around for a while trying to play diplomat to a bunch of people that think Earth is the home of savages." Tony rolled his eyes and then turned his head a bit so he could look at Steve. Doing that had the nice side-effect of putting his head in a position that Clint immediately took advantage of to start scratching his head. _Awesome_. Tony just barely kept the purr out of his voice when he spoke. "That means I'm gonna have to leave the Avengers and all that in your hands while I'm gone, Capsicle. I was thinking, between you and Nat, you guys should be able to get this team here into shape."

He caught Natasha's eye, and she gave him a small nod. She understood what he was doing here. Steve was the obvious choice in a leader for this group. He had experience working with a military group, so he knew how teams like this went, whereas the rest of them were used to being solo. He was _Captain America_ and, as little as he might like the idea of it, having him as their figurehead would look good to the general public and earn them a lot better image. He was also all-around _nice,_ and that would help in a vast amount of ways. In a way, he was their _Thor_. The Golden Prince that everyone loved.

Natasha, on the other hand, was like this group's _Loki_. She was mostly silent, preferring to work from the shadows. A trained assassin, skilled at manipulative games - politics definitely included - and Natasha knew how to play a part. She knew how to project an image for the world to see. She was also smart, a quick study, and cynical enough to temper Steve's more innocent side.

Together, with Tony to occasionally oversee things and to steer the more political and diplomatic side of things, and to help bridge the gap between those two styles as he'd learned how to do between his brothers, they'd make the Avengers one hell of a team. They just had to learn how to work together.

Tony kept all those thoughts on the inside though. Once he got Natasha's nod, he gave a small nod of his own, as well as made yet another mental note to talk to her later. They needed to plan privately. As much as he hated to think of people this way, she would be a handy tool, one that he wanted to make sure fit in his hand and not the hands of SHIELD.

That settled, Tony turned to Loki once more, taking note of the speculative light in those green eyes. He ignored it for now and smiled at the mage. "You gonna stick around for a while, Comet? Or you got some things to tie up before we get going?"

"I have one or two items I need to attend to."

Not surprising. "Once you're back, we should hammer out some details, make sure we've got everything all lined up."

Things were coming together nicely. Now that they had a timeline, Tony could really start to cement his plans - all of them - and see about getting protections in place for his planet. Tony drifted into his thoughts as he began to rearrange a few things on the lists in his head. Certain things needed to be done, some people Tony still had to talk to, and then Tony had to figure out how it was he was going to approach the other realms. Which form would he use? If whatever was done to make Thor and Loki forget about him hadn't been done to anyone else, there was no telling what others knew about him. Did they think he died? Did they know he was banished?

If he came to them in a hidden form and they discovered who was underneath, it could undermine everything Tony was trying to achieve. Yet, if he came to them as himself and found they knew him, knew of his banishment, and hated him for it, it could deny them any chance of gaining an alliance.

Tony lost himself in his thoughts not paying attention to the room around him. The presence of Loki's in the room with him, as well as the soothing strokes of Clint's hand, told him that he was safe. That allowed him to see down into his thoughts and ignore the conversation that slowly started back up above his head.

* * *

Eventually, though Tony barely noticed at first, dinner was finished, and the others started to drift their own way.

Loki was the first to go; he gave a simple "Thank you for the meal" and vanished without another word. Bruce was the next one to leave and Steve not long after that. It left only Tony, Clint, and Natasha in the room. Tony was loathe to give up his comfortable spot on the couch. He enjoyed the way that Clint continued to scratch at his scalp.

That peace didn't last, though. It so rarely did for Tony.

He was almost asleep, just barely able to murmur out a "See ya" to the others when they left. But once they were gone and the room was quiet, something prickled along Tony's senses. It was enough to have him blinking his eyes open again. When he did, he found Natasha staring right at him, a serious and curious look in her eyes. Tony arched one eyebrow in return. "What? Do I have something on my face?"

Natasha didn't take the bait. She continued to stare at him a moment before bluntly asking him, "Are you sure you're up for this?"

Surprise had both Tony's eyebrows going up this time. Then he drew them down in confusion. What the Hel was she talking about? "What do you mean?"

"You have an obvious history outside of Earth that none of us know about. Is it going to be a problem? Are you going to be able to handle negotiating these alliances?"

That hit a little closer to home than Tony was okay with. It mirrored the thoughts he'd been lying here having - and to which he still had no answer. There was no reason to tell her that, though. Much as Tony found himself liking the assassin twins, there were plenty of things that he didn't want to tell anyone. Especially not two who had no reason yet to be loyal to him over SHIELD.

Tony had too many centuries of practice to let any of that show on his face. Instead, he made amusement curve his lips and crinkle his eyes. "I can do my job, Natasha. It's all just playing a part." He paused and flashed her a bright and deliberately fake smile. "You understand that, don't you?"

That barb was meant to strike home. It didn't hurt her, but she acknowledged it with another nod for him, conceding his point. The way she watched him, though... Tony had a feeling she wasn't going to just let this go and all of a sudden he felt far too tired to keep this up. So he did what came naturally to him - retreat.

"All right, then!" In one smooth move, Tony pushed himself up off the couch and then clapped his hands together. "Would you two mind putting the leftovers away? I'm going down to the workshop for a while to get ready for my upcoming trips. I figure it's time to give my suits an upgrade, now that I don't have to bother hiding things. It'll be a whole lot more fun now that I can mix science and magic together."

He didn't give them any time to answer him. Tony vanished, hating that even this would give Natasha more information on him. She was the kind of person who would read something into everything. Running like that said far too much.

Only in the safety of his workshop did Tony finally let go of the walls he'd been holding up. There was no one around to see as he closed his eyes and sighed away the tension that had been holding him up. These past few days had been way, way too long, and full of too much. _All of this_ felt like too much. More than anything, Tony wanted to just lose himself, at least for a few hours. He wanted to pull his thoughts away from the past, from the future, from politics and banishments and all the things that might go wrong.

There was one surefire way he knew how to do that. "J, cue up the Thought-Buster playlist and set it on loud." Tony was already shedding his jacket as he went and undoing his button-up shirt so that he was left in just the tank-top underneath. "Daddy's got some work to do."

Norns bless JARVIS, he didn't make any comments, and he didn't question. He just turned the music on just as Tony had asked.

With the sounds of Judas Priest blaring all around him, Tony headed towards his computer and pulled up the schematics for the suits he'd planned but never brought himself to build, preparing to lose himself for the next few hours in the simplicity and wonder of weaving together magic and engineering.

* * *

Tony worked through most of the night until the early hours of the morning. It felt good to forget, just for a while, about what was waiting for him and what had to be done; to forget that he was anything other than a mage and an engineer. Losing himself in his craft was more relaxing for Tony than anything else out there. It didn't allow him to think about all the things that were usually clamoring for attention in his brain, and the combination of physical work plus magical work - laying the runes and protective spells into his arm - guaranteed that he was exhausted by the time he collapsed into bed just before dawn.

Really, though, Tony should have known better than to try and sleep. He really should have. His nightmares had been bad _before_ all this happened. The fact that he hadn't had as many recently was more a fluke than anything else.

Tonight's dream seemed more than willing to make up for that.

Four hours was all he managed to get. Four hours of terrifying nightmares that ended with him shooting up in bed and clawing at his face. Whimpers were breaking free past lips that he couldn't quite bring himself to open. Fingers traced over the skin around his lips and found only old scars. Even so, he couldn't erase the feel of the thread that had once woven them together forcing his mouth to stay shut, taking away all sound from him. He couldn't speak, couldn't _scream_ , as he was left there alone in the cold and the dark...

Tony didn't notice at first how he'd curled in on himself. Knees to his chest, arms up over his head, his body was rocking just the slightest bit, and he was humming. A low sound, just enough to vibrate his chest and take away the silence ringing in his ears. Anything to break that silence!

Only, it wasn't silent, was it? There was... a voice. Someone was talking to him. Tony tried to ignore it; he'd heard hallucinations far too many times in this little hell. But the voice just wouldn't stop. He couldn't block it out. Despite his best efforts, it filled his ears, slowly but surely sinking into his brain until, like the flip of a switch, Tony knew it. He _knew_ that voice!

"...in the Tower, sir. Myself, Dum-E, U, and Butterfingers are all present and accounted for. As are the Avengers. Thor Odinson is still off-planet, and there have been no sightings of Loki Liesmith has yet to return..."

Tony anchored himself on those words. On the sound of JARVIS's voice. It was the only thing that gave him the strength to finally open his mouth - to admit that the threads weren't there. _They weren't, they weren't there, that was just a dream, he wasn't there anymore! He wasn't!_ "J-Jarv?"

The flow of information immediately stopped. When JARVIS spoke again, there was a hint of warmth there that usually made Tony want to smile. "Good morning, Sir."

"H-How..." Tony had to stop to clear his throat; Norns, it felt dry! "How l-long was I..."

"You slept for three hours and fifty-two minutes, sir. It is now seven thirty-eight in the morning."

Almost four hours, huh? It could've been worse. It could've been a lot worse. There were times Tony had laid down and been back up within a half an hour. He could function off of four hours - _easily_. He could do it for _days_ if he had to. There was no reason he had to go back to sleep anytime soon. No reason he needed to close his eyes and risk ending up back _there_ again, in the dark and the cold, with nothing but the sound of his own humming to keep him from going insane...

"Sir!"

JARVIS's voice ripped Tony back out of his head once more. Tony found that he'd curled up tightly again and was rocking in place. Dammit, dammit, _dammit_! This was a bad one, then. A really bad one. Usually, after a nightmare, he could find some way to push it all down and function again. Only sometimes did he get like this, where he couldn't quite separate everything. His brain would slip too easily back into the past. It took a lot to keep that from happening. He'd made it with help from JARVIS before. But, they'd found it was easier if Tony had another living human with him. Rhodey, bless his heart, had never minded Tony calling him out of the blue and rambling on and on for a while. He knew Tony too well and knew that he got like that after nightmares sometimes.

Once Pepper had come along, she'd done the same, though she didn't have Rhodey's patience. Not many people had Jim's patience when it came to Tony, though.

Right now, Jim was off on a mission somewhere, and Tony knew he couldn't call him. Nor could he bring himself to call Pepper after dumping everything on her. She'd be able to see too much now. The last thing he wanted to do was make her grieve even more.

Before Tony could really start to worry, he remembered that he had more than just Jim and Pepper in his life now. He had other people, too. People who _lived in his tower_. Granted, none of them knew, and they probably didn't have any idea just how bad his PTSD and such was, but they didn't have to know anything to sit and listen. Jim never knew anything, and he still sat and listened.

"J, w-who's in the Tower right now?" Tony asked. Slowly, carefully, he uncurled himself. Unconsciously, he began to move his lips, doing nothing more than proving to himself over and over that the thread wasn't there. _It wasn't there._

 _"_ Agents Barton and Romanoff are on their floor. Agent Barton is currently searching the cupboards for breakfast, while Agent Romanoff appears to still be asleep. Dr. Banner is the laboratory conducting an experiment, as he has been for the past thirty-two minutes. Captain Rogers is on the communal floor preparing pancakes. Would you like me to call one of them for you, Sir?"

Tony shook his head quickly. "No, no." He didn't want to talk to them on the phone or invite anyone here into his personal space. Right now he needed to be up, to _see_ the person he was talking to.

It took way longer than it should have for Tony to get himself out of bed and get dressed. Eventually, he had to wave his hand and basically _magic_ his clothes onto himself. His hands were shaking far too much for him to work buttons at the moment. He also opted to teleport himself down to the communal floor instead of bothering to take the elevators. He needed to be around people _now_.

The minute Tony arrived he felt so much better. There was that undeniable aura that people gave off and it was permeating the room. Every one of Tony's senses was registering that he wasn't alone. There was the feel of people, the sound of breathing, movement, Steve cooking pancakes and Clint chattering alongside him. Seeing Clint threw Tony for just a second and he tilted his head to study the two. Hadn't JARVIS said that Clint was on his and Natasha's floor?

To Tony's horror, that was what he found himself blurting out, not even bothering with a hey or a hello or anything _normal_ like that. "Weren't you down on your floor, Barton?"

It said a lot about the archer's adaptability, or how much he was getting used to Tony, or how comfortable he was here because he didn't jump at all. He just turned towards Tony and grinned sleepily. "Hey, man. Yeah, I was down there, but there wasn't anything good to eat, and JARVIS told me Steve was up here cooking, so I figured I'd come try and mooch off him."

"Do you need more food?" Tony latched on to that little tidbit like it was the most important thing in the world. "You should have food. J, why doesn't the birdie have any food? We should get on that. Order up enough food for everyone, would you? Take some time, make a list and see what everyone likes, and then make sure their kitchens are stocked."

The flow of words came out rapid-fire, almost too quick for most people to understand, but JARVIS had years of experience at translating Tony in just about every way possible. "I'll get right on that, sir."

Tony gave a firm nod and then flashed a grin at the two men in the room with him. Clint was watching him curiously, while Steve kept sneaking looks over his shoulder that practically reeked of concern. "You all right, Tony?"

"Fine!" Tony smiled brightly. _Fake it till you make it_. That was a modern saying that Tony had been living by most of his life. He might not be able to stop the flow of words now that the dam had been opened, but he could do his best to try and pretend like this was all perfectly normal, fine, no one was freaking out here, pay no attention to the babbling crazy man. "I'm totally fine, Cap. Why would you ask? I got some serious work done in my workshop last night. Just wait till you see my new suit!" Tony strolled forward, needing to be just a little bit closer. He found himself at the island near Clint and Steve. It brought him close without bringing him close enough that he might risk making a fool of himself and latching on to them. _I'm not alone, I'm not alone, I'm not alone. They're right here. Clint and Steve are both right here. I'm not there. It isn't dark here, isn't cold, and I can talk, I can really talk!_

Old thoughts tried to rear up, and Tony slammed them down, hard.

In response, he did as he always did and started talking again, trying to drown out his memories and fears with a flow of words he only halfway paid any real attention to. All that mattered was that he was talking, he _could_ talk, and he wasn't alone here.

"I've made all my suits so far to fit the guy I'm supposed to be, you know? Which, let's be real, is pretty damn awesome all on his own. But now that SHIELD knows a bit about who I am, an you guys know, I don't have to hide as much. That means I'm free to pull out the suit designs I've never been able to do before and I get to play around with trying to mix magic and science together. The next suit, it's gonna be my best one yet. I've got to think of a name for them, though. She deserves a good name, don't you think?"

Clint, praise the man, didn't miss a beat and nodded eagerly at him. "Oh yeah, man."

It was Steve who wasn't so willing to let this go. Tony should've realized that before he came down here. Steve moved his pan off the burner and turned everything off before he turned to look directly at Tony, that concern so much brighter than before. "Tony," It was laced through his voice now, too, clear for Tony to hear. "Are you sure you're all right? You're... rambling more than normal."

"I'm fine, Cap!" Tony insisted. "Totally fine. I just, I felt in the mood to talk. Doesn't everyone get like that now and again? I don't know what you're freaking out over. So I like to talk! Who doesn't like to talk?"

"Who knows, man?" Clint said, flashing a grin. "If you wanted to talk, though, you should've come found me. Tash an I have been wanting to talk to you for a while now."

"I did find you," Tony couldn't help but point out. After all, Clint was right here, wasn't he? "Besides, you share a floor with Natasha and JARVIS told me she's asleep and I'm too smart to wake her up. I don't have a death wish. Well, not anymore. If I woke her up, she'd probably try and kill me with her crazy thigh-killing-thing. And, I mean, that's a hell of a way to go, but I'm not really sure I wanna go right now. Can I get back to you on that?"

In a move that was slightly impressive, and that Tony would have normally been more than a little amused by, Clint stole the plate of pancakes that Steve had just finished and somehow managed to skirt past the man without Steve noticing. With the plate in one hand, he made his way over to Tony. "Sure thing. For now, why don't you come have breakfast with me an Tash? I've got some ideas for some arrows I want to run by you, see if they make any sense to you. I've been making my own for a while, but I'm thinking my knowledge and your knowledge, we might come up with some pretty fucking awesome ideas."

As far as ploys went, it was a good one. Clint was subtle enough that some people might not have realized what it was he was doing. Tony wasn't 'some people' though. He knew exactly what Clint was doing. The knowledge of it was right there in the guy's eyes; compassion, understanding, without a scrap of pity. Clint knew that something was going on, and judging by the hour, he probably had a pretty accurate guess as to what it was, even if he didn't know the details. Tony could have ignored it. He could have stayed here and rambled on at Steve, who was still watching him with worried eyes.

Instead, Tony let Clint catch his arm, and he fought not to latch right on to the man in return. Then he let Clint slowly but surely coax him out of the room. The entire time, Tony babbled almost nonstop, rattling off various arrow ideas that he'd already come up with, plus ways he thought he might be able to improve some of the ones he'd seen of Clint's so far. The man thankfully didn't take offense to Tony's suggestions. He didn't act like Tony was slighting him for offering to him.

They rode the elevator down to Clint and Natasha's floor. When they arrived, Tony was still talking, and Clint was nodding along easily.

Natasha was sitting at the table with a mug between her hands. At their entrance, she gave them an arch look, a question in her eyes. Out of Tony's sight, Clint shook his head in warning and mouthed 'nightmare' at her. That was all it took for Natasha to understand.

Their silent byplay had gone unnoticed by Tony. Just as he didn't notice when Clint set the food down, or when the man steered Tony over towards the couch. He did notice when Natasha came to join them. "Hey! We didn't wake you up, did we?" Tony asked her immediately. "I didn't want to wake you up before. While I'm pretty sure you wouldn't try to kill me, an I'm a lot harder to kill than you think, I didn't really feel like risking it, and you seem like someone who might pretend to try and kill someone for waking you up."

"On occasion," Natasha agreed, dry humor in her tone.

A light tug on Tony's arm reminded him to move again. "Come on, Tone. Come have a seat."

Somehow Tony found himself on their living room couch sitting between them. When it was obvious he wasn't quite ready to be touched - he wanted it, he did, but almost _too much_ , like it'd hurt him if he actually took it - neither one of them pushed him on it. They made sure to stay close without crowding him.

And they let him _talk_.

Norns, did he talk! It was just – it was startlingly easy to talk to them. Mostly it was about all the inane things that came to his mind. None of it was important, and there were times that Tony was sure it probably didn't make sense. He was grateful that Clint was pretty good at steering them in the direction of safe subjects. The fact that they even thought about doing that – when Tony knew he was in a mindset where he'd blurt out anything – meant a whole hell of a lot to him.

This didn't always happen to him. Sometimes he needed other people to talk to him to chase away the silence. But sometimes after these dreams, he needed to be able to talk, to hear his voice echoing around him. Every now and again his fingers would come up to his lips to assure him that the thread was really gone, that this was actually him talking and not some hallucination.

It wasn't until exhaustion started to wind Tony down that he found himself saying things he might not have otherwise. Things that he'd never admitted to anyone but JARVIS.

As his body started to slump, Tony found himself being tugged down, his head in Clint's lap and his feet in Natasha's. They'd once tried it the other way during a movie night but found that Tony couldn't handle having Clint potentially holding his feet. Thank everything they hadn't asked him why.

Tony's words were slowing down, long breaks between sentences now and his voice a low murmur. He had his face pressed in against Clint's stomach, and it seemed safer here. Less terrifying than it had been when he'd woken up. Even though it was darker with his face buried, there was a hint of light, the presence of a real person there with him, and he could brush his lips against Clint's shirt and reassure himself his lips were free. Later, Tony knew he'd be mortified at himself for this, and he'd curse himself for being so stupidly trusting. At the moment he couldn't be anything but grateful.

Here, pressed up against Clint, feeling the hand card through Tony's hair the way that someone else had once done, Tony felt the words bubble up and he didn't try and stop them. "They sewed my lips shut." He felt Clint jerk at those words, felt Natasha's hand still on his ankle, but neither one said anything. Closing his eyes, Tony pressed his face in a little closer. "I pissed off someone important, and he didn't want me telling what I knew, so he sewed my mouth shut with magical thread, and he bound my magic, and I couldn't… I couldn't _talk_. _I couldn't talk_."

"Aw, fuck, Tony." Clint's body curled around Tony's head a little in a gesture that screamed protection. The hand on his ankle stayed steady and firm.

A shudder ran down Tony's body. "Sometimes I, fuck, I wake up, and I think, it's like I'm... and I just, I need to talk. I just need to talk."

Natasha gave his ankle a squeeze. "We're always willing to listen."

"An not tell SHIELD," Clint added on, surprising Tony. He must've felt Tony's surprise because he scratched deliberately at Tony's head again to soothe him down. "Shit like this - unless it's going to affect the job, Tash an I made a deal a long time ago that this shit doesn't go into reports. We're a team now, Tone. That means you guys are part of that deal, too."

Tony wanted to believe it. He really, really wanted to believe it. He just... he couldn't. _At least the worst they'll do is add this to my file. There's no real harm in it except for them knowing one of my triggers._ Not something Tony liked trusting people with, but not the end of the world, either. He'd risk them knowing about it if it meant he didn't have to go through this alone.

It was there, with the archer curled over him and Natasha standing guard at his feet, that Tony finally relaxed enough to slip back down into sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

By the time Tony woke up again, his internal clock was telling him that a few hours had passed by. Morning was gone and afternoon was had crept up on them. Tony was aware of it as he opened his eyes - a positive sign. Getting any kind of sleep after an episode like that was pretty rare. Usually, after he rambled at someone, he'd end up going to work until he pretty much dropped from exhaustion. This was the first time since before everything went wrong that Tony had been able to go back to sleep so quickly, and with someone there soothing him down.

While on the one hand, that was good, it also meant that Tony had to deal with the one part that he really, really hated. The awkward after-conversations. The time where people would ask him questions and want answers. Where they'd start to poke and pry and try to find out what was going on with Tony and why he was so messed up.

Tony wasn't even going to get a moment to try and gather himself, either. Neither Clint nor Natasha had moved from where they'd been when Tony had fallen asleep. He knew that immediately. Not only could he still feel Natasha at his feet, or Clint's hand in his hair and his lap under Tony's head, he could also hear Natasha's low voice. She was saying something in Russian - no, _reading_ something. There were no pauses for conversation. She was reading something, the low sound almost as soothing as Clint's petting.

Now that the panic wasn't as strong in Tony as it had been, it left plenty of room for embarrassment to creep in. Tony wanted nothing more than to just keep his eyes closed and teleport himself out of here. Anything to avoid having to face them after acting like that.

Thank the Norns he hadn't said anything particularly embarrassing. Sure, he'd told them about the lip sewing thing, and that wasn't great. But, it wasn't like SHIELD could do anything with that information if the two decided to share it. The rest of the stuff he'd babbled about hadn't been all that important. No, it was more the fact that he _had_ babbled, that he'd been so panicked he hadn't been able to calm himself, that was the problem here. Tony hated being weak in front of people. But he'd just... he'd _needed_. He'd needed so damn badly, and the people that he usually went to - and the one he wanted more than anything - weren't available.

At least he'd managed to do pretty well. Putting Bruce in a stressful situation probably wouldn't have been smart, and Tony and Steve were still sort of feeling one another out right now. Out of everyone, Clint was the one that Tony got on with best.

That didn't mean he wanted to have to face them in one of the most awkward 'morning after' moments ever. Kicking someone out of bed after a night of sex? Easy. Leaving their place afterward? Still easy. Dealing with people in a post-panic-attack moment? That _never_ got any easier.

It looked like Tony's time to worry about it had run out, however. Something must've clued them in that he was awake. Natasha's voice trailed off, and Clint paused in his petting.

The room was quiet for a long second before Clint broke it. He flattened his hand on Tony's head and rubbed just a bit with his thumb. "You actually awake this time, Tone?"

Tony stubbornly kept his eyes closed. "No."

He heard Clint's low laugh, felt it shake his head, and Natasha's touch briefly squeezed before letting go. Tony really shouldn't lay here and continue to push his luck. The fact that they'd stayed with him like this was amazing. No need to push for anything more than that. Keeping that in mind, Tony made himself open his eyes, and he slowly pushed on the couch until he could heave his body upright.

Time spent sleeping on a couch - no matter how comfortable the couch was - had made an impression. Tony had to stretch his arms out above his head to make his joints pop and loosen. The position tugged on his arc reactor, making him grimace and quickly drop his arms back down, one hand going to rub around the edges of it. When he opened his eyes, he found both his companions watching him. Or, more specifically, his chest.

The fact that no one had asked yet about his reactor was kind of surprising. Tony had expected them to start asking why he had it the instant they learned about his physiology and his magic. He'd been so sure they were going to ask why he needed it at all, and he hadn't looked forward to answering them.

Nor was he in the mood to do it now. Tony brought his hand up from the reactor and rubbed it over his face as he tried to smother a yawn. When he dropped his hand down, his masks were in place, and he offered Clint and then Natasha a sleepy smile. "Thanks for the bodyguard, guys. An the ears earlier." He flushed a little and shrugged one shoulder awkwardly, trying to play it off as uncomfortable but, hey, no big deal, right? Nothing to see here. "Sorry I freaked out. Usually, I just stick with JARVIS, or I call up Rhodey and ramble his ear off, but, well..."

"Hey, man, no, don't apologize for that." Clint waved a hand even as he shook his head for extra emphasis. "It's what friends are for, right? Besides... out of our group, if there's anyone who's gonna come close to understanding some of that shit, it'd be us."

"He's right," Natasha said, startling him. Tony turned to look at her and found that she was watching him once more with that intense stare that made Tony feel like she was trying to inspect his insides. "You and Steve aren't that comfortable yet, and we all try to minimize what we expose Dr. Banner to. And Loki, well," she paused, and her eyebrows went up a bit. This time it was Natasha who put on the mask, a knowing one that said she'd seen all his secrets. It was the kind of look that made plenty of people spill them. All it made Tony do was brace. He should have known that he wouldn't be able to. He wasn't the least bit prepared when she said, "This had something to do with Loki. You've been fine all week until he returned."

Tony's insides froze over. On the outside, he lazily wiped a hand over his mouth and gave her his most quizzical look. "Huh?"

Natasha couldn't help probing for information, he knew. It was in her nature. She'd been raised and trained to be a spy. The things the Red Room had done to make her - those weren't things that were easily shut off. However, that didn't mean that Tony had to _like_ it. Especially when she looked at him and asked questions like: "Is it because the mythology says that Loki underwent the same punishment? Or is there some personal history between the two of you we don't know about?"

"We never met before all this crap started," Tony lied easily. _Is it really a lie when Loki doesn't remember anything_? Tony ignored that thought just like he ignored quite a few others.

The look Natasha gave him made it clear she didn't believe that. "You put yourself on the line and gave up a secret you've been keeping your whole life just to rescue him from mind-control."

"I would've done that for anyone!" Tony insisted.

Natasha shook her head. She opened her mouth to speak, only to pause, eyes narrowing on him for a moment. Whatever she saw on Tony's face had her expression going lax in honest surprise. "You're in love with him."

Those five words hid Tony _hard._ Like a fist to the gut, or a slap in the face. The urge to deny it - loudly and vehemently - hit Tony hard, and was quickly squashed. His mask never once slipped. Eyebrows rising, Tony made sure his look was incredulous, and just a little amused. The kind of look that clearly asked if she was on drugs or something. Then he shook his head. "Now you're reaching, Romanoff."

"Am I?"

Tony let his smile grow a little more. At the same time, his gaze sharpened into something distinctly dangerous. "Quit trying to apply your human standard of emotions to whatever you think you've read off me. Do I like Loki? Yeah. Is he hot? Hell yeah! But I'm not in love with him. I learned a long, _long_ time ago not to do something as stupid as fall in love with anyone. Now," Tony pressed his hands against his knees and pushed himself up off the couch. It gave him the leverage to glare down at her and make his next words that much sharper. "Let me make something clear. As much as I appreciate your help earlier, don't think it means that I'm some weak mortal for you to play around with and manipulate. I suggest you don't try playing your little mind games with me. Otherwise, I might feel like playing games of my own."

He didn't give her or Clint a chance to say anything. In a blink, Tony was gone.

* * *

When Loki had said that he had something to take care of, Tony had figured they wouldn't see the mage for at least a few days.

What he hadn't expected was to get a call that afternoon, not even a full twenty-four hours after Loki left, from Nick Fury of all people, calling the Avengers to assemble. Tony had JARVIS call everyone up to a conference room on the communal floor. When they arrived, Nick was on a video screen along the far right wall, and Tony stood near the head of the table.

Nick wasted no time once everyone was in the room. "It looks like your new friend is causing a lot of trouble downtown," Nick said, sarcasm heavy on the word 'friend.' The video screen he was on switched to show a video of what looked to be downtown Manhattan. There was a lot of screaming, and the camera itself was shaking and grainy in a way that made it clear it was a cell phone - and not a very good one. But it was enough for Tony to make out Loki fighting against someone... green. That was the best impression that Tony got from this other person. Lots of green. Then there was a shield up, and the person-thing- _whatever_ that Loki was fighting against went flying into a nearby building, and the video stopped.

"Damn." Clint let out a low whistle. "Remind me not to piss him off."

"You're telling me you hadn't figured that out already?" Bruce asked in a low murmur.

Tony ignored them, though he privately agreed with Bruce. Of all the people in here, _Clint_ should've been aware of just how dangerous Loki was. The guy had been in his head, after all. "Any word on who that is?" Tony asked.

Nick came back on screen and shook his head. "No, an at the moment, I don't really care who it is. Get your asses down there and contain this before civilians get hurt."

The video cut off abruptly in true Nick fashion. _Drama queen_ , Tony thought, shaking his head. When he turned to face the others, he found Steve standing nearby, already in uniform and looking serious. Natasha was in her uniform as well and was just as serious as Steve was, though her gaze was sharper, assessing, as it ran briefly over Tony. She was smart enough to know that Tony was their best bet at figuring things out when it came to Loki.

Bruce and Clint were sitting side by side at the table. How on earth did all these people get in uniform so quickly? Clint was already in his as well! It had to be a spy thing. Or a SHIELD thing. Maybe a soldier thing? Maybe a _human_ thing. None of them had magic so they couldn't call up a change of clothes like Tony could, so maybe they accounted for that by learning how to change quickly.

"We need to figure out what we're walking in to," Steve said, drawing the eyes of everyone in the room. But Steve had eyes only for Tony as he turned and asked him, "I thought he was going to take care of something and be right back?"

"Maybe this is what he's taking care of." Tony shrugged. He hadn't exactly quizzed Loki on what he was taking care of. Allies they may be - it didn't mean Loki told him everything. "I say we focus more on getting there and stopping things before they break too much of Manhattan. We can always ask him afterward."

He had a point, and they all knew it. "How're we gonna get there, though?" Clint asked, looking around the room. "I don't know about you, but I don't exactly keep a jet in my back pocket."

Was he serious? It was like they forgot who they were talking to here. Tony beamed at them at the same time that he shook his head. Did they forget who it was they were talking to here? "You guys are ridiculous. You do realize who designed your fancy SHIELD jets, don't you?" He didn't wait for them to answer before he started to head towards the door. "J, get the quinjet ready, and prep my suit. Let's go find out what our favorite Mischief God is up to."

* * *

It didn't take long to get everyone loaded onto the jet. Normally, Tony would've been flying ahead on his own, but this was the first time they were all going to fight together as a team, and he had to force himself to swallow down the pride that insisted he'd be just fine on his own. It was the same part of him that was trying to tell him that he needed to hurry ahead and save Loki, keep him safe from whatever threat he was up against. Instincts that hadn't had any need to be used in such a long time were now roaring to the forefront, and it was hard not to give in to them.

Instead, Tony tried to focus on what he could do, not on what he couldn't. That meant working with JARVIS to try and get some video feed of the fight. Clint was piloting the jet, with Natasha as his copilot, which left Bruce and Steve in the back with Tony. Bruce didn't look all that happy to be there; he was obviously hoping that his skills weren't going to be necessary. Neither the doctor half of him or the more angry half.

Tony felt like he was vibrating inside his suit. "Tell me you got something, J."

"I believe I may, sir," JARVIS answered. A hologram appeared in the middle of the jet, startling a soft exclamation from Steve. The man hadn't quite gotten used to modern technology, let alone technology the way that Tony used it.

Usually, it amused Tony. He liked to poke at Steve for it, even just a bit. However, at the moment Tony was too caught up in the image that was playing in front of him. Or, more accurately, the people it showed.

"JARVIS, do we have any information about who that is Loki's fighting against?" Steve asked. He'd at least gotten better about that part of things; he'd address JARVIS now, less awkward about asking him for things.

He didn't need JARVIS to answer, though. Tony could do that all on his own.

" _Amora_ ," Tony said darkly. He fought back the urge to snarl at the image on the screen as he watched her fling a ball of energy at Loki, who narrowly avoided it by ducking down by an overturned car. What the hell was she doing here, fighting Loki? For as much as Tony hated her, he knew that sometimes she and Loki had _allied_ with one another. They'd worked together on a couple projects despite Tony's protests - Tony's anger towards her had been a source of amusement for Loki on more than one occasion.

 _Loki let out a low laugh and pressed his shoulder against Anto's. The two were side by side in the library where Anto had been studying when Loki came to him with his latest scheme. "You are being utterly ridiculous."_

 _"I'm not the one proposing to work with the_ Enchantress _, am I?" Anto shot back. He pulled away from his brother and deliberately turned his head. He did not need to look at Loki at that moment. The last thing he wanted was for his younger brother to see how truly hurt he was. Loki would recognize it if he saw Anto's face. The younger mage knew Anto far too well to keep secrets from him. To keep up the deception, Anto made his voice composed, that perfect tone he had learned to employ that gave away nothing; a skill he'd rarely had to use against Loki. "Far be it for me to speak where my advice is unnecessary. You will, of course, do as you see fit. I wish you the best of luck, brother-mine. Now, if you have no need of me, I've something I must attend to."_

 _He got only a few feet away before Loki was calling to him. Anto slipped out the library doors and quickly turned to the right. He was steps from an easy exit when Loki caught up to him. The firm grip stopped Anto in his tracks and kept him from going any further. Loki wasted no time in twisting them both until they were pushed into the shelter of a nearby alcove where no one would be able to come upon them without being noticed. Once he had Anto there, Loki stood them face to face, green eyes bright with worry. Loki's expression was open in a way it only ever was with those he trusted. "You are angry with me."_

 _Those words had Anto softening despite himself. He wanted to growl at Loki about how stupid his scheme was. He wanted to call him a fool for even thinking of trusting Amora of all beings. Deep inside, he wanted to ask_ 'why her?' _But he let none of that show. Instead, Anto softened, as Loki always seemed able to make him do. "No," he said, voice quieter than before. "I am not."_

 _Loki's brow furrowed. Then his expression turned to one of surprise, and of understanding. His voice was gentle when he spoke again. "I meant this as no slight against you. I know how little you like to perform such things where others may witness."_

 _"You think me so concerned about the opinions of others that I wouldn't grant you aid when you need it?" Anto demanded._

 _"No," Loki shook his head, lips twitching into a small smile. "Never, brother dear."_

 _Oh. Loki didn't think Anto afraid - he was_ protecting _Anto. Keeping him from doing something that would end with him mocked, because he knew Anto would never turn him down. Would always help him. Loki was protecting him from that. That was... that was almost worse._

 _In the privacy of that little alcove, Loki let out a laugh that was both teasing and warm all at the same time. Then he pressed forward and wrapped himself around Anto in the kind of touch the half-elf often craved and was so rarely allowed. Loki understood that Anto's very nature demanded these kinds of touches. Just as he respected the need to keep it hidden from others who would perceive it as weak. However, like this, when they were alone, he never held back, never denied Anto the touch he needed._

 _Loki pressed their foreheads together until their breaths mingled. "Amora is a useful tool, one to be picked up and discarded as needed. You are my brother, foolish though you may sometimes be. You are far more important than she."_

The memory was just one of many instances that they'd had to deal with Amora. It was back when she'd been only a nuisance. One that Tony had disliked, yet tolerated. Then she'd grown older, bitter, and her tricks had become far worse. She'd messed with them all too many times. Loki might've been willing to forgive her or use her, but Tony never had. Not when he'd had to be the one to erase some of her spells from _both_ his brothers.

"Stark?"

Steve's voice drew Tony back from his memories and his own personal anger and into the present once more. Tony turned his head, meeting Steve's gaze through the Iron Man mask Tony hadn't even realized he'd closed. Judging by the slight concern he found in Steve's eyes, Tony must've drifted long enough to worry him.

Trying to pretend like he _hadn't_ just gotten lost in his memories, Tony flashed a smile he knew they all couldn't see. "Sorry bout that, Cap. My brain's big and old, it takes a bit sometimes to sort that information out."

"You with us now, old man?" Clint called out from the front of the jet.

Tony flipped him the finger. Then he got right to it. "Her name is Amora, and the guy with her is Skurge. She's known as the Enchantress in a lot of places. She's got power that's almost on-par with Loki in a lot of ways." At least, it had been the last time he'd seen her. Tony grimaced as he thought about that and quickly added on, "It's been a while since I've been around her, so I don't know what she's been learning lately, but she's never been afraid to get her hands dirty."

With one hand Tony reached out and manipulated the images in front of them, pausing it and isolating one section of it. Then he zoomed it in until they could all see the man standing near Amora's side. The guy was just as nasty as Tony remembered him being. "This is Skurge, an he's loyal only to her. You won't be able to turn him from her - ever. Amora is the only person he cares about. His love for her and his bloodlust are pretty even, actually. He's a damn good fighter, but he's stupid in some ways, an he makes mistakes if you piss him off enough."

"So distract him, make him angry, and he'll be less likely to focus on protecting her," Steve said.

First Tony nodded, then he shrugged and held one hand up, waggling it in a so-so gesture. "A bit? I mean, all it'll take is her calling out to him an he'll abandon any fight to come to her aid. But he's also pretty confident she can handle herself most of the time. Which, let's be real - she can."

"You're filling me with confidence," Bruce chimed in. He didn't look all that happy about what he was hearing. Not that Tony could blame him. He knew Bruce wasn't a fan of letting out the Big Guy. That was something they'd have to work on.

For now, Tony flashed him a grin. "Don't worry, Brucie Boy. All we really need here is a bit of a distraction for Skurge. None of you guys are equipped yet to handle magic attacks - which, hey, JARVIS, make a note to get the anti-magic equipment started up tonight. But you've got Loki an me. Right now, Loki's just barely holding his own. Which means adding in my magic should be enough to stop her."

Not that he was looking forward to it. So far, Tony hadn't been able to figure out whether or not Loki and Thor were the only ones who'd forgotten Tony, or if there were more. The last thing he needed was Amora recognizing him and outing him to everyone here. Especially in front of Loki.

If he was careful and just fed the magic to Loki, and kept his mask on, Amora shouldn't be able to tell. That was his hope at least.

Steve seemed to agree with the plan. He started directing everyone else, leaving Tony free to go ahead and head towards the back of the jet. He could fly the rest of the way there.

* * *

Flying with a voice other than JARVIS in his ear was a strange sensation for Tony. He was used to hearing JARVIS talking to him; the two of them worked together perfectly. They'd had plenty of time to practice it. Plus, JARVIS tended to put concern for Tony above pretty much everything else, which meant that, more often than not, their opinions were the same. Though there were plenty of times that they were different - Tony putting himself at risk to help others, while JARVIS wanted nothing more than for Tony to come out of something safe.

But having the voices of the rest of the Avengers in his ear? Yeah, _that_ was going to take some getting used to.

" _Coming in for a landing a few buildings down from the scene,_ " Clint told him.

Tony had just reached the scene himself. "Don't waste time coming in quiet. Looks like we need any distraction we can get right now." At the moment Amora and Skurge were side by side, battering away at a shield that Loki appeared to have desperately tossed up. It was just barely holding the two of them back. Seeing it, Tony tilted himself forward and took careful aim. "All right, JARVIS, what do you say we have some fun?"

His love for JARVIS grew even more when Tony heard the music the AI put on to blare from the external speakers. Motorhead's "Bye Bye, Bitch, Bye Bye" played nice and loud as Tony swooped down towards the fighting trio. The music had all of them looking up, and it had a few chuckles sounding in his ear. " _Nice choice, Iron Man,"_ Clint said, still chuckling.

"Credit goes to J on this one." Tony's voice carried plenty of pride to it. He always loved when JARVIS showed initiative like this.

There was no more time to think about it or crack jokes. Tony sent a few repulsor blasts into the ground right in front of Amora and Skurge, forcing them back a few steps, and then he came in for a heavy landing just a foot in front of Loki. "All right, everybody, playtime's over."

Amora sneered openly at him, and Skurge lifted his ax in open challenge. "I think not," she said.

"I had a feeling you'd say that." Without wasting any more time, Tony sent three more blasts, one right after the other, just enough to create a bit of chaos between them. That gave him enough time to move back towards Loki's side. Despite the mask, Tony grinned at him. "Hey there, Rudolph. Looks like you started the party without us."

Loki threw his head back, his helmet nowhere in sight, and used one hand to push some of his hair back from his face. He was dirty, sweaty, and obviously starting to tire, yet his eyes were bright, and he smirked at Tony like this whole thing was some great big joke. "Yes, well, perhaps in the future you'll take less time to prepare."

One of Loki's hands went up abruptly, blocking the attack Amora sent his way.

The reminder of their fight had Tony going back to what he'd originally come back here for. "Oh, right. Well, you left without your accessories, so I had to take the time to stop and pick some up for you. You forgot your earrings," Pausing, he held out his hand, a communicator in his palm. He was grateful when Loki took it, and, after a second of looking it over, slipped it into his ear. He must've learned about them somehow; maybe while he had Clint under mind-control.

Tony kept his hand where it was and opened just that gauntlet so that his bare palm was there for Loki to reach out to. "And you forgot this."

This time Loki hesitated, clearly unsure, but when Amora shrieked and threw another attack their way, the trickster reached out and laid his palm over Tony's.

Their magic leapt at the chance to be together once more. It reaffirmed Tony's belief that, while Loki didn't remember him, his magic at least did. The two reached out to one another and twined together easily, falling into place just as they'd learned how to do as children. As soon as the connection was made, Tony fed his magic down the line. It was essentially refueling Loki's depleted magic as well as giving him a power boost.

As soon as Loki had enough magic - more than he'd started with, really - the two drew their hands apart. Tony laughed at the incredulous look on Loki's face. "Just because I have to be careful about who sees me use that stuff doesn't mean I can't help out." The gauntlet slid back into place, and Tony activated his boots once more. "The rest of the team will take care of distracting Skurge. You and I get the Big Bitch herself. Let's take her down before someone ends up getting hurt."

As soon as Tony blasted upwards, outside of Loki's shielding, he saw that the others had arrived on scene. _Everyone_ knew the others had arrived. Steve must've decided that there was going to be no waiting around to see if they needed Bruce or not. Hulk was there, landing right next to Skurge and roaring furiously at him.

 _Damn_. Seeing the Hulk on video had been pretty damn impressive - it couldn't hold a candle against actually seeing the big guy in action. Hulk let out another roar and sent Skurge flying with a single blow of his fist. "Well I'll be damned," Tony twisted through the air and moved towards Hulk, completely unconcerned. Hulk could damage his suit, sure, but it'd take a lot, and it wasn't like it'd do any serious damage to Tony. At least, not damage that he couldn't heal from.

Tony floated himself in the air in front of Hulk, a few feet back just to be safe, and he flipped the faceplate up, ignoring Steve's sharp " _Iron Man_!" as well as JARVIS's concerned " _Sir!_ "

"Hey there, Big Guy," Tony said easily, beaming at the Hulk. With one hand he used his thumb to point behind him where Skurge was just starting to get up. "You see that guy over there? I need you to smash the hell out of him. Sound good?"

The grin Hulk gave at that was huge. "Hulk smash little angry man!"

Tony couldn't help it - he laughed. "That's right. Show the little angry man who's boss, buddy! Just make sure to watch out for the rest of us, all right? We're on your side."

That made Hulk snort. He gave Tony a look like he was stupid. "Hulk no smash Magic Metal Man."

Magic metal man, huh? Tony liked that. He grinned and gave Hulk a thumbs up. Then he was snapping his faceplate back into place and was up in the air again.

" _You are_ completely _insane, Stark,_ " Loki said bluntly. He must've figured out this was more than just something to let him listen in, then.

"You get used to it," Tony told him helpfully.

Natasha's voice cut into their banter. "We've got Skurge contained between us. You two think you could stop playing long enough to take care of Amora, or would you like us to handle that, too?"

Right. Time to get down to business. Tony circled them all just to get his bearings on what was happening. Loki hadn't stopped fighting while Tony talked with the Hulk. He and Amora were another block to the East, battling against one another with balls of magic and flying debris. The rest of the Avengers were circling the area Skurge was in, keeping him pinned in without making it obvious, while Hulk was having fun punching the guy into another building.

A couple of repulsor blasts brought Amora's attention back up to Tony. She blocked them quickly enough that they didn't hit her, but they also drew her attention enough that the ice Loki sent creeping up from the ground managed to catch hold of her ankles. It was halfway up her calves when she took notice of it. A furious shriek echoed in the air. Then, in the next second, the ice around her shattered, shards of it flying with bullet-like precision. A few hit the suit hard enough to scratch it just the slightest bit. _Holy shit._ "I don't remember her having that kind of power."

" _Neither do I,_ " Loki said.

Amora cast a wave of air Loki's way that was strong enough to send the trickster flying backward. Then she spun, and Tony saw the green light of a spell being cast towards him. He moved in just enough time to avoid getting hit by it. "She's got way more power than she should. It's been a long time since I saw her last, but there's no way in hell she should be this strong. No way."

It wasn't Loki or the other Avengers who answered Tony. It was JARVIS - and what he had to say wasn't good. "Sir, I'm detecting two distinct magical signatures from Amora."

Tony furrowed his brow. "What?"

" _Iron Man, what's going on?_ " Steve called out.

"Just a sec, Cap, wait. J, you're sure about that?"

" _Quite, sir._ " A second later JARVIS was running the information on Tony's HUD for him to see for himself.

Sure enough, the energy signatures that were coming off of her didn't match up. There were two distinct ones that Tony could see. Taking a small chance, he opened himself up just a little, trying to carefully feel for her magic. That was the downside in putting runes to hide his magic all through his armor. It kept his magic hidden, yes, but it also meant that it took some effort for him to reach out and sense anyone else. He had to reach past his own shields to do it. The next suit would have something better, but for now, this was what he had to work with.

What he found only backed up the data. What the hell? "Amora's registering two energy signatures."

" _What_?" Loki asked, sounding just as surprised as Tony, while at the same time Natasha asked: " _What does that mean?"_

 _"It means that she has more power than just her own,"_ Loki answered before Tony could. " _She is being fed power from somewhere. We need to try and trap her and figure out where so that we might cut it off."_

Yeah, that's what Tony was thinking, too. He dodged another of her spells and tried to think quickly, his mind racing with the inflow of data. Only one plan held any sort of chance at working. "Okay, Loki, we need to bait and switch. I'll play like I'm distracting her so that you can get a good shot in, an once she thinks she's got me out and focuses on you, I'll come flying in."

" _Oh, is that all_?" Loki asked dryly.

Snorting out a laugh, Tony sent his suit flying forward. Time to try and distract.

He shot blast after blast at her, trying to do everything he could to draw her focus towards him. Tony knew that Loki would take an actual shot if he saw an opening, so there was no reason not to do his best at this. He dodged her attacks and sent in blasts of his own until he saw an opening. Then, bracing himself for just how much this was going to hurt, he let himself miss on a block so that her blow - a wave of hardened air - sent him barreling backward. Tony discreetly used his own magic to cushion the blow and catch him so that he didn't hit anywhere near as hard.

Amora was already turning to Loki by the time Tony recovered. When Tony looked over, he saw the blades of ice in Loki's hands that were already starting to fly through the air, one right after the other, distracting Amora perfectly. She was too busy blocking to notice Tony flying towards her until it was too late. He barreled into her, and the two hit hard, knocking her off her feet before she had a chance to fight back. Tony's arm closed around her, and the two of them flew to the side of a nearby building where Tony slammed her up against the wall.

It was there, with her right up against him like this, that Tony's awareness of her magic really flared to life. The other power was strong enough that Tony could sense it even through the shielding on his suit.

Even if he hadn't been able to, the flare of blue in Amora's eyes would've made it all clear.

"Shit," Tony swore lightly.

Amora grinned at him. "Hello again, little one." The voice was hers, but the words weren't. Something older and far more powerful was speaking through her. "I wondered if I'd see you again."

Oh fuck. Oh fuck, oh fuck, _oh fuck_.

Those were the only words Tony could think for a moment. He knew who that was speaking through Amora - and he knew he had no hope in standing up against him. Last time Tony had saved Loki's mind only because they knew one another, because their magic had worked together, and because he'd caught Thanos off guard. This time, Thanos was ready for him. Had in fact been _waiting_ for him, it would seem.

Tony tried his damnedest not to let his panic show. "Aw, see, now I feel special." The flippant tone was natural; it gave away nothing of how quickly his mind was racing away inside. "I wish I could say the same for you - either one of you. But, see, I'm not really a big fan of sharing, and both of you seem to have this thing for trying to take my stuff."

The laugh Amora gave was nothing at all like her usual smoky, husky chuckle. That sound was meant to entice men. This one sent chills down Tony's spine. "I do believe he was mine first - as he shall be mine again. I thought about killing you for taking him. Now, I think I might let you join him. You interest me, little one."

"Sorry, I've been told I don't play well with others," Tony said.

He felt the magic building up inside of Amora, felt as the other magic started to fill her, pushing her own seidr down, and Tony knew he only had seconds before it would strike. Just seconds in which to protect himself.

Without wasting another moment, Tony charged up the repulsor in his hand and let go of her throat to send a blast right at Amora's face.

The resulting crash of power - repulsor and magic - sent the two flying back from one another with enough force to send her through the building and Tony down a few blocks. He hit the ground hard, suit bouncing and rolling before finally coming to a stop.

Pain from more than just the fall had Tony dazed. The backlash of magic had been just as bad; he felt it through every single inch of him like he'd been hit by a truck.

People were shouting in his ear, and JARVIS's worried voice, and then someone else was right there grabbing hold of the suit and trying to leverage him upwards. Tony almost fought against that touch until he recognized who it was. Loki was carefully lifting up the top half of Tony's suit. His face appeared in front of the mask, letting Tony get a clear view of Loki's furrowed brow, his frown, and the blood that dripped down the whole left side of his face.

" _Iron Man - report!"_

That was Steve's voice, sharp and clear. Tony gave a low groan and tried to help push himself up. "Alive. Though not entirely happy about it." He was already trying to stand up, though. They couldn't waste time lying here. Not when Amora was out there powered up by Thanos.

Only, Loki put a firm hand on his shoulder and held him in place. "Stay down."

"Amora..."

"Is gone," Loki said, cutting him off. "She and Skurge vanished before you fully came to a stop."

Oh, well then. Tony stopped trying to sit himself up for the moment and just let his suit slump back down towards the ground. "Everyone make it out okay?"

" _A few bruises, but we're all fine,"_ Steve answered. Natasha chimed in her agreement, and Clint added a cheerful " _Good up here!_ "

There was the sound of a Hulk roar - their big green buddy checking in. Everyone was safe and alive. For the moment, that was what mattered. They'd deal with the rest of it soon enough. Just as soon as Tony could haul his suit back up. He popped the faceplate open and let a bit of fresh air inside to try and help that along. When he did, he found Loki outright smiling at him, a look that was so familiar it sent pangs through Tony's heart.

Tony couldn't help but smile back. He tried to cover up whatever might be in his expression by falling back on a familiar standby - humor. "We really gotta stop meeting like this, Princess. People are gonna start to talk."

"I often find they have little else to do," Loki said dryly.

Chuckling, Tony let his eyes close, just for a moment. Just long enough to draw the good feelings in and let them push back the darker ones. A moment was all he could allow himself, though. There was too much else that was going on.

When he opened his eyes once more, any signs of playfulness were gone. "Everyone, let's gather up and meet back at the jet," Tony said. He looked up and met Loki's eyes and saw in them the same kind of seriousness he knew was in his own. "We need to talk."

* * *

Getting everyone together took a little bit of work. First, they had to make sure that everyone really was okay, that none of them were hiding anything. Then they had to get to the Hulk and calm him down enough for him to turn back into Bruce. That was where it came in handy that Hulk liked the 'Magic Metal Man.' Tony was able to fly to him and talk for a bit and, after a little conversation and some gentle prodding, Hulk shrank back down to Bruce. When they gathered Bruce up, Tony made a mental note to get to work on some pants for the poor guy.

After that, SHIELD showed up to handle the aftermath of everything, and Tony lost track of things a little after that. The next thing he knew he and the team were taking the Quinjet up to the Helicarrier for a debrief. As little as Tony liked the idea of going onto the Helicarrier, he was smart enough to know it was best to make this report in front of everyone instead of having to do it multiple times.

On the ride up there Tony found himself a bit amused by the bodyguard he seemed to have gained. After that last blow sent Tony flying and gave him the magical equivalent of a concussion, Loki seemed to have taken it upon himself to sort of stand guard over Tony. Why, Tony wasn't quite sure. Loki had his own personal code, he knew, and he was the type to pay back a debt. Either he was protecting his ally here, or he was repaying what Tony had done for him when he'd given Loki magic. Either way, Loki had set himself up at Tony's side, and his glare made it quite clear no one was getting close unless Tony wanted them to.

He stayed at Tony's side even after they landed and they were taken into a conference room similar to the one they'd met in last time.

Nick and Phil were both waiting for them. Not any real surprise; what Tony had looked at in SHIELD's files suggested that Phil Coulson was supposed to be the Avengers liaison. So far, that hadn't come up, but Tony had a feeling that was going to start to change now that the Avengers had made their first public appearance. Tony took a moment before he stepped out of the suit to have JARVIS send a message to Pepper to give her a heads up about the fight, and about starting some of the Avengers PR that they'd discussed. Best to get on top of that.

Just like last time, Tony left his suit against the wall, free to record everything, and stepped carefully out of it. Only, this time, Loki was right there at his side as he did, ready to lend a hand without being overbearing about it and showing everyone just how weak Tony might actually feel.

"I'm starting to sense a pattern here," Nick said as they all made their way in. He had his arms over his chest and was glaring around the room at them all. That glare ended up settling on Loki. "Each time we've had to call together, it's been because of you. Wanna explain what exactly happened _this_ time?"

Tony smothered a grimace. He could've told Nick that was the wrong tone to take with Loki; coming at him accusing him was only going to put his back up.

To his surprise, the only attitude that Nick got was a cold look and an even colder tone. Otherwise, Loki was calm as he said, "I received a message from Amora requesting we meet. We are not friends, but we've worked together in the past, and we have an understanding. While we might fight if we cross paths, we've never tricked or trapped the other, and we've never sent messages. I had no reason to suspect any different this time around."

"I'd say she wasn't in the mood to be friendly this time," Steve pointed out. He took the seat near the head of the table, close to where Nick was while still being with the rest of the team. Natasha and Clint sat across from him, and Bruce - who was thankfully clothed in what looked like a spare set of SHIELD sweats and t-shirt - slipped down into the seat between Steve and Loki, leaving Tony on the far end.

Nick took the other end, with Phil staying standing at his shoulder. "I'd say not, Captain. We've got quite the mess down there to clean up now, and a lot of press to work on. All because you and your girlfriend," again, another glare at Loki, "couldn't keep yourselves under control."

The word 'girlfriend' had Tony tensing for reasons he deliberately chose not to think about. That had him reacting before he could get his mouth under control. "Instead of bitching at us about things we can't change, why don't we focus on what's actually important here?"

"Oh?" Nick arched one eyebrow at him. "An what's that, Stark?"

"How about the fact that it wasn't just Amora in there?"

The whole room fell silent. At the same time, the tension skyrocketed. All eyes were on Tony now. He shifted just a little in his seat to try and ease some of the ache that was still there. The fact that it was there at all wasn't overly reassuring. It said a lot for the power that Thanos had. To be able to attack like that, _through_ someone else, and still pack that much of a punch? It was a sobering thought.

"JARVIS and I registered two magical signatures in Amora," Tony told them, elbows coming to rest on the armrests and his hands linking together in front of him. Calm, casual, relaxed, no outward sign of pain showing anymore. His look was pure business. "When I got closer to her, I could see the blue flashing in her eyes. Amora's not the one in control right now.

"She was the one to seek the meeting with me," Loki said slowly. "I had contemplated reaching out to her see about adding her to our list of allies, but I hadn't decided yet."

Just barely did Tony keep from snorting at that. "Yeah, well, three guesses as to _why_ , and the first two don't count."

"So you're saying she's mind controlled like Loki was?" Bruce asked.

Tony shrugged and held his hands out briefly in a sort of 'well, yeah?' gesture. It was the only logical explanation. That was even without out him having spoken with Thanos. Something that Tony wasn't quite sure he was willing to pass on. There was no need for them to know what the two had said to one another. If the others found out that Thanos was looking to not only recapture Loki but to try and take Tony as well, it'd only make them worry. There was no reason for that.

Natasha folded her hands together on the table and leaned in enough to look down at Tony. "Do you think you could help her the way you helped Loki?"

Just the thought of that was enough to have Tony reeling back. His lip curled up in a look of blatant disgust. "Norns, no!"

The vehemence of his reply surprised quite a few of them. "Why not?" Steve asked.

Loki spoke up before Tony could. "It is idiotically dangerous. The fact that Anthony did it once and survived is both amazing and stupefying. To chance it again would be tantamount to suicide, especially now that the Mad Titan is aware of his presence and his seidr."

"Yeah, that." Tony jerked his thumb towards Loki, agreeing wholeheartedly with what he'd said. Though he couldn't resist adding on "Plus, y'know, there's the whole part where I wouldn't piss on her if she were on fire."

That had Clint huffing out a low laugh. He was slumped back in his chair already, but he tipped it back a bit more to peer at Tony from behind Natasha. "No love lost between you two, I take it?"

Tony flashed him a grin that was more a bearing of teeth than anything else. "Understatement of the year, sweetheart."

"We can't just leave a strong witch in the hands of the guy who wants to take over the universe," Nick pointed out sharply.

"She's not _that_ strong," Tony grumbled. She _wasn't_. Or, at least, she hadn't been. The fact that she was drawing power from her connection to Thanos wasn't a good thing. It gave her a lot more power than Tony liked.

Nick shot him another of those glares that were probably supposed to be intimidating. "Strong enough. She sure seemed to be kicking your ass, Stark."

Hey now, wait a damn minute! Tony sat up straighter in his chair. This time, he didn't bother holding back his glare. "That's only because I'm not after flashing my seidr to the world and lighting up a sign that says 'Here I am, come kill me!'" Tony threw his hands up in the air at that. Then he brought them back down and used one hand to make one, sweeping gesture that took in everyone in the room. "Do any of you understand the part of things where I came to earth to _hide_? You think Tony Stark has enemies? It's nothing compared to my old life. So pardon the hell out of me if I'm not eager to go hanging up neon signs telling everyone in the universe who can sense magic where to find me. There are other ways to deal with problems."

"What do you suggest then, Mr. Stark?" Phil asked, speaking up for the first time since the meeting had started. He'd stayed at Nick's blind side the entire time; calm and cool, hands folded in front of him. His attention was on Tony now, and there was nothing threatening or challenging in his gaze. Not even when it slid over to include Loki as well. "You two are our magic users. What do you think we should do?"

"Kill her," Tony said instantly. He wasn't joking, either. However, even before the protests started, he'd known they weren't going to accept that as an answer. Not even Loki looked pleased by it. Rolling his eyes, Tony slumped back in his seat. " _Fine_. I mean, it'd be the smart solution, especially with Thanos wrapped so tightly in her head, but if you don't want to, whatever. I _might_ be able to make a way to contain her somehow. We do that, we can call Thor back down here and ship her off to Asgard. They'd be the best suited to hold her until someone could be called in to help break the connection."

That plan, at least, seemed acceptable. Tony zoned it out for the most part as the others started to try and plan what to do the next time. The idea of handing Amora over to Asgard didn't sit right with him. The humans here obviously thought that giving her to Asgard would be a kinder fate.

Tony and Loki exchanged a look while the others were talking. They both knew the truth. Maybe Loki didn't know it as deeply as Tony did; he understood enough, though. Sending Amora to Asgard, leaving her under Thanos's control, giving her to Odin to deal with - it would be kinder to simply kill her.

* * *

Tony was more than ready to find his bed once the team finally got back to the tower. He trusted his suit over to JARVIS to get back downstairs; his AI took remote control of the suit and started it down the ramp, taking it inside. Tony enjoyed the looks of surprise from the others. If only they knew all the things JARVIS was capable of doing.

One by one the rest of them started to file their way out. Tony was one of the last to rise, and he dragged his aching body forward, with Loki just in front of him and Steve following behind him. Tony had every intention of getting off the quinjet and making his way in to find a nice warm bath before he was forced to focus on _anything_ else. He needed to heal the magical channels inside him that were still aching a bit. It'd left him with something almost like a magical hangover.

Before Tony could go far, a hand closed over his shoulder. "Tony." When Tony turned to look, he found Steve standing there. The man cast a look over at where the others were already mostly inside, and Loki was lingering close by, and then he brought his gaze back to Tony. "I just wanted to apologize. That whole meeting was a bit of a mess, and it seems like it brought up a lot of history for you. I know we don't know your past, and I know I've been one of the ones pushing the most for it, but... we've all got things we'd like to stay hidden, an lately it seems like you're not getting a choice on having all of yours brought out for everyone to see. So I guess, I just wanted to say I'm sorry for that."

The more that Tony got to know Steve, the more he could see the guy that Howard had used to talk about so much. Despite the hand that life had dealt him, Steve was just an all-around _good guy_. It's what made him and Tony butt heads so often - Steve saw the world in black and white, while Tony tended to live in the shades of gray, often tipping a little more towards the darker end of the scale.

But... despite all that, Tony found himself liking Steve anyways. He liked the kindness in him that ran deeper in him than it did for anyone else here on their team. Steve was their moral compass; the one that would help them stay on the good path. And when things required a different path, well, that's where Tony would step in.

"It's fine, Steve." Tony's tone was a whole lot gentler than it would've been earlier. He drew in a breath, trying to steady himself, and snuck a look over to where Loki was still lingering. The other mage had slowed himself down to try and wait for Tony, yet he couldn't stay out here, not without making it clear that's what he was doing. It left him no choice but to finally step inside. Once he did, Tony brought his gaze back to Steve, and he found himself saying more than he'd intended. "Amora and I just... we have a bit of a bad history. It's not some state secrete or anything like that - it just brings up some unpleasant memories."

"Is there anything we can do to help?"

The fact that he honestly meant that was enough to make Tony smile. He brought a hand up and patted the one that was still resting on his shoulder. "You're a good guy, Cap. But there's nothing you can do here. Amora," Sighing, Tony stuffed his hands into his pockets to resist wringing them together. "I don't have to like her to help her."

Steve looked him over, taking in every bit of the expression on Tony's face. Then he smiled. He gave Tony's shoulder one last squeeze before letting go. "You're a good man, Tony."

Unable to help it, Tony laughed. "No, I'm really not." His grin grew wide enough to crinkle his eyes. "But thanks anyway."


	10. Chapter 10

Tony managed to escape from the others pretty easily. He was surprised - Steve was a huge help. As they went inside, he seemed to just know that Tony needed to go, and he nudged Tony towards the elevator with a wink before heading towards the group and calling out to them in a way that drew all the attention in the room firmly towards him. It gave Tony just enough time to slip into the elevator before anyone really noticed him. He'd have to do something nice for Steve later as thanks.

The first thing Tony did was head straight to the penthouse and right into the bathroom. He shed clothes along the way without a care for where they landed. More than anything he wanted to soak in the tub.

When he reached the bathroom, he found that the water had already been run. A hot bath was waiting for him; steam coming up off the water. "JARVIS, buddy, have I told you lately just how much I love you?"

"Not today, sir," JARVIS answered, warmth clear in his voice.

Tony grinned as he strode over to the tub. "Aw, you feeling neglected, kiddo?"

"Immensely."

The single, dry word had Tony chuckling. His chuckles cut off into a low, drawn-out groan as he finally sank down into the water. It'd been a long, long time since Tony had fought anyone with magic like that. All his fights here on Earth had been just physical ones. The most magic he'd had to deal with had been defensive magic that was meant to keep out Earth's sorcerers. None of it really held out against someone like him. Well... Tony lifted a hand to rub underneath the arc reactor. _Most_ of it didn't hold out against someone like him.

The fight with Amora had taken a lot of Tony's magic. First, the bit he gave to Loki to help fuel him, and then that last bit at the end...

Tony sighed and tilted his head back until it was resting on the bath pillow there. This was one of his favorite thinking spots outside of his workshop. He'd spent plenty of time relaxing in the tub thinking about what to do, or some new project he was working on, or a million other different things. Now, he laid there and thought about Thanos's words and what they meant for his future.

* * *

Thinking in the tub didn't get Tony very far. That was why he ended up on the roof an hour later sitting with his legs dangling off the edge of the room, a bottle of elven wine in his hand. The sun had started to go down off in the distance and parts of the city were just coming to life. Times like this, Tony liked to lay here and just feel the natural magic of the city pulsing around him. Being this high up, sitting over top them all, made him feel sort of like he was back home again. A prince up in the castle, the whole of Asgard spread out below him, alone and untouchable.

Tony let out a slightly bitter laugh and brought the bottle to his lips. Not that untouchable.

"That does not sound like it comes from pleasant thoughts."

The sound of another voice had Tony startling enough he almost dropped the bottle of wine. At the same time, his other hand had come up, magic called up into his palm in a reflex he hadn't given in to in years. Apparently, this whole thing was bringing up a whole lot more than he'd realized.

He found Loki standing just a few feet away, looking as calm and collected as ever, his expression amused. Tony slowly lowered his hand and drew his magic back in. "Not smart to sneak up on a guy like that, Lokes. You're lucky I didn't blast you off this roof."

Loki gave a low hum. "I didn't believe I was capable of sneaking up on you while here in your home."

That had Tony wincing. Yeah, generally speaking, Loki shouldn't have been able to. It was either a sign of how tired Tony was, how comfortable he was in Loki's presence, or how drunk he was. As Tony looked at the bottle, he figured it was probably a combination of all three. Then he shrugged and brought the bottle up for another drink.

Whisper soft movements warned him of Loki coming closer. Then Loki was there at his side, gracefully sinking down to perch on the edge of the roof next to him. Tony watched him and realized that Loki wasn't dressed in his usual leathers. No, he was in human clothes, an odd enough sight that Tony actually turned to get a better look at him. Loki wore a pair of black skinny jeans and a dark green button-up shirt. Dressed down and yet still formal. It fit his baby brother perfectly.

Tony watched curiously as Loki settled in beside him. He expected questions, or concerns, or _something_. But Loki just sat there and stared off into the distance. After a moment, Tony gave a mental shrug and turned his own focus back out over the city. However, after a moment he held the bottle out, and after a seconds pause, Loki took it.

That was how they sat for a while. The two of them staring out at the city, passing the bottle of wine back and forth between them, neither one of them saying a word. It felt... nice. Tony relaxed despite himself. Just being here with Loki comfortably beside him was enough to do that. While they sat there like this, quiet and comfortable, he could almost pretend that things were back the way they used to be. That Loki knew him still, and they were here, and together, and safe.

They didn't speak again until the wine was gone and they'd started on their second one. Tony had to give Loki credit; he knew how to wait, and he knew better than to try and beat around the bush. Instead, he went right for the direct route, the best way to get Tony to answer at the moment. The fact that he knew that despite them having only spent a small amount of time together was something worth thinking about later.

"There is something you're not telling us."

Tony snorted; he couldn't help it. "Oh, gorgeous, there's _plenty_ I'm not telling you."

As Loki handed the bottle back, he nudged Tony's arm with his and shot Tony a glare as dry as the desert. It was a look that Tony had seen plenty of times in the past - one that plainly told him 'you are being ridiculous and I am not in the mood.' No one could give that look quite like Loki could.

The fact that it still had the power to work on him probably should've worried Tony.

With a heavy sigh and an even heavier drink, Tony turned his gaze back out towards the distance. "I talked to Thanos."

He felt Loki instantly still at his side. His low " _What_?" was as cold and sharp as ice.

"I get the feeling his main goal was getting you back," Tony used the bottle to gesture at Loki. The other man didn't seem surprised; they'd all figured that out. "But I think he was feeling the rest of us out at the same time. Seeing what kind of defense the earth has. He already knew a little about me thanks to me ripping him out of your head. Now he's just a little more interested." Which totally wasn't worrying at all. No, not the least little bit.

Loki took the bottle when Tony passed it to him. "He'll seek to capture you as well. You've proven powerful, and he craves power in all its forms. Almost as much as he craves Death."

"Yeah. Pretty much figured that out on my own."

"Yet still, you will fight." Tilting his head, Loki slanted a look over at Tony. Either the alcohol or the mood had made him bold. Something spurred him to speak instead of keeping his thoughts locked away. "You, almost more than anyone, seem to be risking everything to be a part of this. You risk your life, your secrets. Secrets you've kept for quite a while. Now, you risk even more, pitting yourself against the Mad Titan. And yet you are still here."

Tony winced. Yeah, he was risking a whole hell of a lot. More than anyone here knew. He didn't need to be reminded of it. Tony's movements were a little sharper as he snatched the bottle back from Loki. "Don't remind me." Another drink helped to settle his nerves again. He wasn't drunk enough for serious worry; just enough to take the harder edge off the world. To take away some of the fear that clawed at his gut. Drawing in a breath, Tony stared down at the red liquid inside the bottle and wished to himself it didn't look so much like blood. "It's the right thing to do," he said softly.

"A noble sentiment."

The hint of scorn on the word 'sentiment' had Tony's lips twitching. "Oh, as if you're reasons are so much better, Comet."

Loki's look was haughty and full of scorn. A prince scowling down at a peasant. "If you think I am in this for any reason other than to guarantee that I am the one to remove his head from his shoulders..."

Oh, Norns! The ridiculousness of it was too much. Tony's low, husky laugh cut Loki off. He slanted the other mage an amused look. "You're so full of shit."

"Excuse me?" Loki demanded. He was glaring now, clearly offended.

Too bad that look did nothing to Tony. He laughed again and shook his head. "You talk a tough game, Lokes, but you're just as committed as I am. Underneath that princely, go-fuck-yourself outer shell, you care a whole damn lot about this fight. Hell, you care about us, too." Turning, he grinned. "Admit it - we're growing on you."

Loki stared at him for a long moment. He seemed lost in thought, lips parting as if he wanted to say something, only to hold it back.

It was enough to have Tony curious. He turned himself a little more so that he could better look at Loki's face in the slowly darkening light. "What?"

"Sometimes you speak almost as if you know me, yet I am quite sure we've never met before," Loki said slowly. Confusion was clear in his voice and his eyes, as well as a curiosity that made it clear this was something he'd been thinking about. Something he was going to continue to keep thinking about. "I have no memory of you, and yet, our magic..." he trailed off, but his face didn't lose that contemplative look.

It was easy for Tony to hide the pain those words brought. _I have no memory of you._ The fear, though, was harder to keep from showing. Tony had known this moment was coming. The way that he and Loki had melded magics was too easy. He'd known he was going to have to give Loki some sort of reason, and Tony had done his best to come up with one he hoped was believable. "I've always been pretty skilled at melding magics. It was something I excelled at when I was younger. Plus, it probably helps that you... you remind me of someone. Someone I used to know."

"Oh?"

There were a wealth of questions behind that simple 'oh.' Some of which Tony wouldn't - couldn't - answer. But... maybe he could give him something? Despite the voice in his head screaming at him to shut up, Tony found words spilling past his lips that he'd never intended to say to anyone. "He was... well, he was one of the best damn people I've ever known. Smart - Norns, was he smart! He could keep up with me in pretty much anything, an sometimes even passed me by. Being with him was never dull. We were inseparable. There was no one in my life I loved or trusted more."

Loki's voice was soft as he asked, "What happened?"

"Life." Tony gave a bitter smile. He took another long drink from the bottle in his hand. His eyes drifted to stare once more at the few stars that were starting to show. At the same time, his voice softened, almost too soft to hear. "I lost him when I lost everything. He never... He never knew what happened to me. One day I was there, and the next I was gone. I always... I always hoped he just thought me dead. Better that than the truth."

"You think he would not stand with you?"

"I think he'd hate me," Tony said softly. "And I think that would kill me more than anything else out there."

The quiet stretched out between them. It wasn't a comfortable silence this time. This time, it was full of so much, packed with a meaning Tony didn't want to try and decipher.

Eventually, Loki broke it. His tone was careful, showing nothing in it, yet it was also gentle in its own way. "I find it hard to believe any crime you've committed is so great to merit a response such as that. Especially from one who sounds as close to you as this one."

But Tony shook his head. The alcohol continued to bring out an honesty that probably wasn't smart, yet he couldn't seem to stop. "I can't... I can't risk it. Maybe that makes me a coward, I don't care. At least this way I have some good memories to hold on to. Besides," Looking down at the bottle, the self-hatred Tony felt sometimes welled up, leaking into his voice. "Who I am now... I doubt he'd even recognize me anymore. I've changed too much. I doubt he'd be proud of me anymore." One thing Loki had never been was a coward. And Tony... much as he might crow otherwise to other people, he knew he was a coward. All he had to do was look at the man next to him right now who had no idea who he was to prove that.

"Then he is a fool."

Tony's eyes snapped up to Loki. They were wide with surprise. "What?"

He found Loki staring at him with an intensity that was enough to steal his voice away. Loki's eyes seemed to be glowing ever so slightly with a light that Tony couldn't seem to put a name to. He didn't _want_ to put a name to that look. Then all thoughts of it were pushed to the side as Tony found himself stunned when Loki looked right at him and told him, "He would be lucky indeed to carry your affections, Anthony Stark."

In the next instant, Loki was gone, and Tony was left sitting alone on the edge of the roof. He stared at the space that Loki had just been in open shock. That... that hadn't really happened, had it? Had Loki just sat here and defended Tony against... Loki?

It was too much to think about right now without making his head hurt. Groaning, Tony flopped backward to lie down on the roof and stare up at the sky. When the hell had his life become such a fucking soap opera?

* * *

Morning found Tony standing at the edge of the training room while he waited for everyone else to finish getting ready. A cup of coffee was cradled in one hand, and his sunglasses were on, neatly hiding his face. His hangover was in full swing, and he'd reached the _so many regrets_ stage of it. Why oh why had he thought that sitting on the rooftop getting drunk was in any way a good plan? It was a terrible plan! He hadn't even ended up in bed with anyone fun, which was usually how he did things. No, instead, he'd sat up there for the Norns knew how long and _moped_. Like a teenager! Tony had brooded and run over every single word of his and Loki's conversation.

That was just... it was pathetic enough to just _think_ about. Tony had to fight not to cringe. He hid his grimace against his coffee cup.

Not well enough, it would seem. "Man," Clint drawled the word out, packing it full of plenty of teasing and good humor. "You look like shit. There a party last night I didn't know about?"

Tony cracked his eyes open to glare up at the archer coming towards him. It was hidden behind his sunglasses, but still. Tony made an effort. "Bite me, Barton."

Laughter clued Tony into the fact that Clint wasn't alone. He slid his gaze past Clint and took in the others behind him. Natasha and Steve were side-by-side, with Natasha smirking and Steve mostly looking disapproving, while off to the side stood Bruce, with a small little smile playing on his lips. Then, to Tony's surprise, he saw Loki move up beside Bruce, passing him by to come up towards Tony's side. The mage was cradling a mug of what smelled like tea in his hands and was sipping off it contentedly.

"Dude, with your super fast healing how do you even get drunk?" Clint asked, breaking into Tony's thoughts.

His volume had Tony wincing. Didn't anyone have a quiet setting? "Very, very carefully," Tony answered slowly and honestly. "With many, many, _many_ bottles of beautifully aged elven wine. Most of my stock, actually."

"I do hope you left some for the rest of us," Loki said. He stopped at Tony's side and leaned against the wall. There was absolutely no sympathy in his face, the bastard. He looks more like he's enjoying Tony's misery.

Well, Tony can't just let that slide. He didn't even stop to think about it before he used a bit of magic to lightly smack at the back of Loki's head right as he was going to take a drink. The way it made him jerk and almost spill on himself was more than worth the livid glare that was shot his way. A tired smile curled Tony's lips as he tilted his head to better look at Loki. "Didn't anyone teach you to respect your elders, youngling?"

Loki's eyes narrowed a little. "They tried."

The threat in those two words only made Tony's smile grow.

"You're older than he is?" Bruce asked, surprised.

Tony made a low humming sound and took a drink of his coffee. Everyone just watched him as he did so. Realizing that they wanted more of an answer than that, and were willing to stare at him till they got it, Tony refrained from sighing. "Best as I can figure with what I know, I'm about... three to five hundred years older than him? Give or take a bit. Not much, really. Thor's older than I am."

That got him more than a few surprised looks. Even Loki seemed more curious now and less annoyed for the smack. Though, Tony had no doubt that Loki would find a way to get back at him for it. _He always does._

However, Tony wasn't in the mood to discuss his age. Especially not in relevance to the two Asgardians. All he really wanted to do was get their stupid daily training out of the way so that he could get to work on the plan he'd built last night. Granted, it was a plan created while drunk, but it had solid bones to it, and Tony was more than ready to start putting it into action. He was tired of just sitting around the tower making plans. It was time for him to get out there and actually do something.

Tony lifted his cup and finished the last of it all in one long drink. Then he turned and bent down to set the mug on the ground before straightening up and trying to mentally prepare himself for this. It wasn't going to be fun. "All right, are we gonna get on with this training, or what? I've got things to do this afternoon, and if I'm going to be able to use 'dead' as an excuse to get out of it, I'd like to get that taken care of."

Amidst laughter, the Avengers all made their way towards the center of the training room, and Tony resigned himself to a miserable couple hours. _This is what you get for spending a night drinking like an idiot. You've only got yourself to blame._

* * *

By the time training finally wrapped up - none too soon, for Tony - most of the morning was gone and the afternoon was creeping up on them. Tony knew he needed to start getting ready to go before it became too late. If he'd judged the time differences correctly, leaving within the next two hours would put his arrival sometime just before breakfast, a good time for a traveler to show up.

Tony stretched himself out a little as he carefully stepped out of the suit he'd been training in. While the others might spar with one another, Tony never did. He trained with them in his suit, and that was it. Sparring wasn't something Tony was willing to do. Not only did he not want to show them what he was capable of outside the suit, but Tony also wasn't entirely sure how much of that part of himself he wanted them to see, and he didn't want to risk accidentally hurting them. They were human, after all.

The suit collapsed down into its suitcase form when Tony stepped out of it. As Tony waited for it to finish compacting, he looked over at Steve, one of the people he should probably give a heads up to about his plans. "Hey, Cap!"

Steve immediately stopped heading towards the ring where they sparred and turned to face Tony. Like always, he ignored everything else and focused right on the person talking to him in that way of his that made the other person feel like Steve had given them his entire focus. "Yeah?"

The man was way too open and earnest. And nice. Tony shook his head a little and smiled. "Just wanted to let you know I'm gonna be gone for a few days. I'm heading out to Niðavellir this afternoon, an I'm not sure how long it'll take. A couple days, I'm guessing. No more than a week." Tony lifted one hand and jerked a thumb in Loki's direction. "You've got Loki here for magical protection, an Amora's not likely to strike again until she's had time to regroup and plan, so it's the best time for me to take a trip. Just figured you should probably know."

It looked like Steve wanted more than to just 'know.' His eyebrows furrowed down, and his sharp eyes were studying Tony's face like he was hoping to read something there. What, Tony wasn't sure. But he stood still and let Steve look at him until the other man finally sighed. Some of the tension drained off his face. Not all of it, though. "There anything we can do to help?"

Tony smiled and shook his head. "Nah. You guys just keep an eye on things here. JARVIS will keep an eye on you, he knows what to do for pretty much every emergency scenario we could come up with. Just try not to get dead while I'm gone, got it?"

The huff Steve let out at that was somewhere between amused and resigned. It kind of seemed to be his default emotion around Tony. Most people's default reaction, honestly. "You too, Tony."

Once Steve was gone, Tony picked up his suitcase and turned to go, only to find Loki watching him with his arms folded across his chest and a stern look on his face. Ah. Yeah. The other guy Tony needed to talk to about leaving. This conversation wasn't going to be anywhere near as simple as the one with Steve had been. Steve seemed to trust that Tony knew what he was doing when it came to the whole Norse or Magic side of things. He accepted that he didn't have the knowledge for it and Tony did.

Loki was different. He both had the knowledge and tended to question everyone and everything. Or, at least, he once had. It seemed that hadn't changed, either, because as soon as Tony was facing him, Loki asked, "You're leaving?"

"Gotta get started sometime soon," Tony said. He made a gesture with his free hand for Loki to follow him and started to make his way out of the room. He waited for Loki to fall into step beside him before speaking again. "We both agreed that Niðavellir was the safest bet on where to start. Not to mention, the sooner we iron out some sort of alliance with them, the sooner we might be able to start working out some sort of trade. If we can trade with the dwarves, or work out something to get them to make armor for us, we'll stand a lot better chance at protecting the people here." Tony didn't think they'd be able to get dwarven armor for everyone. But for some of the central teams that Tony saw forming? The Avengers, the X-Men - the ones that would be on the front lines. He might be able to bargain something for them.

They reached the end of the hall and stepped into the elevator. JARVIS didn't even need Tony's direction on where to go once the two mages were inside.

Loki was staring at Tony as the elevator moved. There was something that was gnawing at him about this. Tony could see it. He just had no idea what it was. The best course of action was to just wait. Eventually, Loki would say what was on his mind.

Sure enough, after a moment Loki said, "You should not go alone."

So _that_ was his problem. Tony could respect that. He didn't exactly like the idea of Loki heading out to recruit other realms all on his own, either. But they both knew that this was how it had to be.

The elevator doors opened to Tony's workshop level. He stepped out, Loki following after him. "There's no one to go with me," Tony said, pausing to input his codes when he reached the workshop doors. The doors finally hissed open for them and allowed the two inside. Tony headed straight to the side of the room where the suitcase suit was normally stored. "None of the others would have any idea about how to behave, and dwarven culture wouldn't be the best place to start training them on it. There are too many ways they could accidentally screw up and get us killed. And as helpful as it'd be to have you there with me," Tony straightened back up and turned to give Loki an honest, real smile, one of the ones that he so rarely let show. "We can't leave the team without some sort of magical protection. Especially if Amora does come out again before I get back."

It was clear just by looking at Loki's face that there was so much more the other wanted to say. Tony was a bit surprised by just how bothered Loki actually seemed by this. Sure, they were allies, and they got along pretty well, but so far they hadn't spent _too much_ time together. Loki hadn't been here a lot yet.

There wasn't time to wonder about it, though. It was just another thing added to the stack of things that needed thinking about when there was free time.

For now, even Loki seemed to realize that they didn't really have time to waste. "Very well." He clasped his hands behind his back and adopted a regal air. A prince, showing nothing of his true emotions. It was his court face. "Safe travels, Anthony Stark, and may the Norns bless your negotiations."

 _So formal, Lokes._ "Thanks. Keep an eye on the place for me while I'm gone, would you? I'm trusting you and JARVIS to keep everyone safe and accounted for." Tony shot a grin over at a nearby camera. "Got that, Jarv?"

"Of course, sir," JARVIS said. His voice was a bit more serious than normal; more formal, too. He wasn't happy with Tony's trip either. "Between Master Liesmith and myself, we will do our utmost to keep the Avengers safe."

"Knew I could count on you guys, buddy."

There was really no point in putting this off any longer. Now that Tony was sure everyone knew he was going, and that his home and friends would be as safe as he could make them while he was gone, it was time to head out.

The air around Tony began to ripple as his magic ran over him and changed his close. At the same time, he shifted his shape and had to fight to keep the pain of it from showing on his face. Damn it all to Hel, that fucking _hurt!_ But it was worth it. Better to shift his shape than risk a glamour falling at the wrong time and revealing what Tony didn't want others to see.

His changes left Tony's body just different enough to not be recognized as him. Here, he became the Einn that had traveled Niðavellir and Alfheim without being recognized. It was different than he'd looked in other places and different than he'd looked for Charles.

Sometimes, Tony had to shake his head at all the different looks he'd taken in his long life, and how it was a wonder he hadn't mixed up somewhere along the way and gotten himself into trouble because of it.

This image was himself and yet... not. Tony's bone structure was the same - his natural elven one, not the one he glamoured on to appear human - his ears were pointed, and his skin was only lightly tanned without any sign of facial or body hair, aside from the hair atop his head. The rest of him was what was different. Tony made himself just a little taller because it was rare to have elves as short as him, and his hair was longer and braided back. The tail of it ended at the small of his back. His eyes were a dark, muddy brown, the same as his hair, and his skin held just enough of a tan to make him look like one of the earth elves.

His clothes were more appropriate for his travels, too. Dark brown breeches, with dark green knee-high boots, and a matching long-sleeved tunic that was fitted tightly at the waist, and spread out loosely around his hands. A mage's tunic, meant for movement of the body while keeping his hands free for spells. From his belt hung two swords; his preferred weapon, back before earth, before Iron Man. Any sort of blade, actually.

Over it all Tony had a dark green cloak that hung low enough to brush the ground.

Loki looked just a bit surprised by the shift and Tony grinned at him. Then, deliberately thickening his accent, he made sure to consciously use Allspeak and not English - it was different, speaking a native tongue compared to letting the magic of Allspeak do the work for him - as he introduced himself. "Einn Noson, at your service, Prince Loki." Tony caught hold of the edge of his cloak and executed a perfectly formal, elven bow, one arm behind his back and the other folded across his front. However, his eyes were devilish when he straightened back up. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

He enjoyed the brief surprise that flashed through Loki's eyes, as well as the pleasure when Tony said the words 'Prince Loki.' Hm. Seems someone missed hearing that title.

Loki recovered quickly. In a flash, he was standing straighter, and that regal air around him became even more pronounced. Hands clasped behind his back, chin up, he looked down at Tony with a look Tony could only describe as _snooty_. "Greetings, Einn Noson."

The moment only lasted for a short beat. Tony broke it by grinning broadly and letting his posture relax. "All right, don't have too much fun while I'm gone. Try not to break New York or anything like that!"

"I shall endeavor to do my best."

Tony was still grinning as he gathered his magic to him and prepared himself to travel the hidden pathways that would take him where he needed to go. It'd been almost a human lifetime since he'd been off of Earth. _Time to do it again. Let's hope this goes well!_

With that last thought, Tony took a deep breath, and he was gone.


	11. Niðavellir Part 1

So I need everyone to keep in mind that I did my best researching each of the Nine Realms, and all the contradictory information that's out there about them. From that, I did the best I could to give life to each of these places. I hope you enjoy them.

* * *

Traveling between realms without the aid of the Bifrost wasn't something that everyone could do. Not even every mage could do it. However, it was a skill that Tony had perfected long before he'd ever left Asgard, and it was one that he hadn't forgotten during his time on earth.

It seemed like he _had_ forgotten just how amazing it felt, though.

That amazing sensation of his seidr all around him, the feel of slipping between the branches of Yggdrasil, the rush of the travel – and the beauty of the places he could travel to.

Tony had always found Niðavellir to be a beautiful place. He knew plenty didn't agree with him – they saw only the mountains, high and sharp and dangerous, and were rightly cowed by them. But Tony had always seen more.

The realm wasn't all mountain ranges. Niðavellir was a rounded realm, just like Earth, though quite a bit smaller. Closer in size to Earth's moon, actually. But, while it _was_ primarily made up of mountains, there were beautiful forests and lakes, too, where a person could wander for days. The mountains themselves formed a perfect circle, making a protected canyon inside that no outside was allowed into. In there was the dwarven village Hamarrknǫttr. There was where they farmed, where some of them lived outside the mountain, where they practiced and played and _lived_. And, it was said that this was where their greatest magic was protected. The mountains around them were there to keep outsiders from getting in.

Dwarves had something similar to the four cardinal directions that earth had – North, South, East, and West – only theirs were more magical by nature. In the dwarven language, they were _Duc, Loc, Nec,_ and _Roc_ , and they marked the four points of the strongest magic on Niðavellir.

At each of those points, there was a stronghold set up in the mountains. Each one of those strongholds was defended by a dwarven clan who'd proved themselves strong in magic, able to harness the magic at that point that allowed them to keep the world's magic balanced, and keep the protection in their mountain ring and over the valley inside. The last time Tony had been here, as Einn, he had stayed with Brynjar, of the Runerok Clan, and they'd been in charge defending _Nec_. The Shadowfinger Clan had held _Roc_ , the Burningeye Clan had held _Loc_ , and the Stonefist Clan – King Eitri's clan – had held _Duc_.

 _Duc_ was their true North, where their castle sat. The first defense against the world, and the largest they had. It was where the King resided and was always controlled by the King's clan. In front of it were the forests of Logabjǫð – the burning fields. The trees were burnt orange and red that made them look like they were on fire when the sun shone overhead. Tony had always loved them, and he'd looked forward to his walk through them to get to the mountains and the Castle.

Of course, Tony got just a brief moment to admire the landscape before he realized that his aim might not have been all that perfect.

He'd landed in the forests – that wasn't wrong. He just hadn't landed _alone._

Tony blinked a few times in surprise as if that might clear his vision somehow. When it didn't, he found himself gaping at the group of _fucking trolls_ that were standing around him. _Rock Trolls_. They were all in the seven-foot range, which put them a lot above Tony, and they were dressed for war.

"Oh," The laugh Tony let out was low and just a bit nervous. "Hey there, fellas. I swear, this isn't what it looks like." This was not good. This was so not good. In a quick scan, Tony counted at _least_ twelve different trolls. _A hunting party._ What the hell was a hunting party of trolls doing so close to the castle? "Would you believe me if I said this was just a giant accident?" Tony tried out his best, most charming smile, and he kept his hands out in a gesture of peace. "It's been a long time since I've Sky Walked and, well, I think either my aim was off, or, well, I _may_ have forgotten to take a good look at where I was landing before I just let myself land here. I really should work on that, actually. That could be a huge problem coming up soon. Not right now, though! Right now, I'd really like to just be on my way to that great city over there. Think there's a chance we might come to some sort of an arrangement? One that doesn't involve one of us bleeding or dying?"

One of the nearby trolls gripped tightly to his club and glared down at Tony. " _Elf_."

The disgust in that single word was enough to tell Tony that, yeah, diplomacy wasn't going to happen here. "Ah, well, can't say I didn't try, right?" His grin shifted into something a whole lot more dangerous. While Tony had never carried the bloodlust of other Asgardians or felt Thor's need to destroy everything in sight, he'd taken out plenty of trolls in his time. They were an intelligent species, capable of quite a bit, but they were often power-hungry, and they had absolutely no respect for life outside of their own. They, for the most part, believed that their race was supreme, and they wanted the magic that others possessed for their own. They weren't afraid to take it by force, either.

No, Tony wasn't going to lose sleep over what was about to happen. In fact, he found it surprisingly easy to slip into the persona of Einn, which wasn't too different than Tony Stark, at least in personality. Both had the same, 'kiss my ass' grin when faced with trouble like he was right now. They also both had the tendency to run off at the mouth at all the wrong times. "What do you say we have ourselves a little fun, boys, eh? I mean, I'm no Ron Weasley, but I'm sure I can take down a few of you."

One of the trolls roared, loud and clear, and that was it, there was no more waiting. The magic that Tony had been gathering in his palms went flying as he thrust his hands out. Two of the trolls were blasted backward to crash through the trees.

It'd been way too long since Tony had fought without his suit. Even longer since he'd been in a fight where he didn't have to hold back his natural strength, or his magic. Letting go of that iron control that he kept over himself was both strange and fantastic.

A backhanded blow sent Tony soaring back to crash through one tree and land against another. He groaned as he shoved himself up to his feet; yeah, he'd feel that one for a little while. It wasn't enough to stop him, though. "So, you guys wanna play like that, do you?" His body shifted into a defensive crouch at the same time that he brought his hands together and called up his seidr. It began to glow as the trolls advanced on him. Tony grinned wildly at them and slowly began to draw his hands apart. Golden light crackled between his palms and was gradually forced into shape as Tony brought his hands apart. When he let go, he had a long, golden staff of pure seidr, which stood a lot better chance of damaging a rock troll than his swords would.

Tony caught the staff in one hand and twirled it, settling it firmly into his grip. "Okay, boys. Now the party's really getting started."

He leapt straight towards them in a move none of the trolls seemed to expect. Tony used the staff to brace with and spun himself around it, kicking up off his feet and holding on to the staff tight as he twisted and planted his feet against the chest of one troll, knocking it back and taking another one down with it. As soon as Tony landed, he had the staff up again and was swinging it around to jam it straight into the chest of another troll.

Tony didn't give himself time to pause or think. Fighting against this many trolls, alone? No easy task. There was no way he was going to be able to take them all down without risking some pretty severe injuries for himself – not without breaking and using the kind of magic that would call the attention of Heimdall or the Allfather. What Tony needed to do was take down as many as he could, distract the others, and make a break for it.

That was his plan, at least. But Tony's luck seemed to have turned itself around. Just as he felled the third troll, bringing their numbers down to nine, the crash of metal and loud war cries filled the air. Tony's grin grew. _Reinforcements have arrived. Oh, thank the fucking Norns!_

Dwarves burst into the area, seemingly coming up from the very ground itself - a distinct possibility. There was no telling how many underground tunnels they had around here. They came pouring up from the ground with axes and hammers and swords in hand, and they didn't hesitate to attack the trolls.

Tony couldn't pay them any more focus as he was attacked once more. He twisted his staff to crash against the arm that was coming down on him, then turned it again to send a weighty blow against the troll's head. It wasn't enough to take it down, but the axe blow that severed its head _was_. The troll fell to the ground, and Tony found himself looking down into familiar silver eyes. A dwarf stood there, one hand firm on his battle axe, blood already staining the reddish-blond hair of his beard. "Why do I always find you in some sort of trouble, boy?" Brynjar demanded.

Amusement crinkled Tony's eyes and he couldn't help but laugh. The last time he'd come here, as Einn, he'd met Brynjar during a fight inside the castle against a few dwarves who'd thought they could take a weak little elf with a smart mouth. Brynjar had saved him, and then taken him under his wing and helped him work to get the chip off his shoulder. "It's good to see you too, old man!"

Another troll came up to them, and the two twisted at the same time, Tony's staff going for a blow to the throat, while Brynjar's axe smashed tip first into the troll's chest.

The last few trolls were being handled by the remaining dwarves. It left Tony free to turn and properly greet Brynjar. Despite the fact that it'd been over a hundred years since the two had last seen one another - closer to a hundred and fifty, give or take some - the two smiled at each other like the old friends they were. Tony planted one end of the staff in the ground and held it with his left hand while he extended his right. Brynjar grasped his forearm in the greeting of warriors everywhere and grinned up at him. "Well met again, Einn. Somehow, I'm not really surprised to find you out here in the midst of chaos, grinning at me like that."

Laughing, Tony drew his hand back. "You know me. Can't resist a little fun."

"Fun." Brynjar scoffed and shook his head. His eyes were sharp as they ran over Tony and took in the dirt and bit of blood that showed on him. He gave another shake of his head. "Come on, let's get you inside and looked at. Hopefully, you didn't rattle that fool head of yours any worse than it already was."

"Aw, Bryn! You say the sweetest things."

Tony laughed again at the scowl that got him. He banished his staff and fell into step at Brynjar's side and let the dwarf lead him to one of the many hidden tunnels under a nearby outcropping of rocks.

Only when they were inside and away from the forests did Tony finally speak the question on his mind. "Since when are Rock Trolls so brave as to come this close to the Castle?" The last that Tony had known, Dwarves and Trolls were still enemies, but no Troll had dared come this close to the city.

Brynjar conjured up a globe of glowing blue light to guide their way through the dark tunnel. In its light, he looked suddenly older. Even with his helm on it was easy to see the furrow building in his brow. "Where've you been hiding at, boy? With the Bifrost still under repair, nowhere's safe right now. What fear do our enemies have without the might of Asgard to back its allies?"

The words were enough to have Tony stumbling. Just barely did he manage to catch himself before he fell. The Bifrost was under repair? What the hell had happened that could damage _that_? He'd known something was going on since Thor had used the power of the Tesseract to get back home, but with everything else going on Tony had pushed that thought to the back of his mind and forgotten about it. Now, though...

His surprise didn't go unnoticed. When Tony recovered himself, he found that Brynjar was sneaking looks up at him as they walked. Tony tried to push his shock down enough to focus; this changed things, and he needed to adjust his plans accordingly. "It seems we have much to talk about," he finally said.

"Hm." Brynjar gave him one last, heavy look. "It does. For now, let's get you in an cleaned up. Then you can tell me what's going on."

Cleaning up was probably a good idea. As for telling Brynjar what was going on, well, "I wish this were a social visit, Bryn, but I need to beg an audience with the King if he'll see me."

This time it was Brynjar who almost stumbled. He shot a quick look behind them to make sure that no other dwarves were close enough to hear them. Then his eyes slanted back to Tony. The small shake of his head was enough to tell Tony that now wasn't the time to speak. Tony gave a slight nod in return. He knew what he was asking - going in to see the King wasn't something easily done, especially for someone who wasn't a dwarf. Tony might be allowed to visit, and as Einn he'd only been in the presence of the King once, just to stand at Brynjar's side as Brynjar requested permission to apprentice Einn, but he wasn't a dwarf. He couldn't simply speak to the King. Not without giving away secrets that he'd been keeping for a long time. Not without good reason.

Unfortunately, Tony had a reason, but by no means was anything about it _good_.

* * *

The tunnels eventually led them up and through another passageway before bringing them inside the mountains themselves. Tony stepped through the door and found himself standing in the halls of _Nec._

The beauty around him hadn't changed at all.

Tony had grown up calling the great golden halls of Asgard's palace his home, yet he'd always privately enjoyed the Halls of Niðavellir or Alfheim more. In Alfheim, their castle looked as if it'd been grown from the earth around, trees shaped to make their home without ever uprooting them from the ground. While in Niðavellir, their homes, their great halls, were carved from the mountain itself. Great, open rooms, with high ceilings and grand pillars and doorways, and paths set into the stone walls that traveled up or down. Pillars were carved into to create rooms, homes, without breaking them away from the mountain itself, leaving them free to still act as support and keep it from caving in on them all.

Every bit of these halls had been lovingly carved and hollowed out by dwarven hands and tools, shaped to fit them while still leaving the greatness of the mountain clear for all to see.

The halls of _Nec_ took up four floors. At the top stood the sorcerers, placed so to monitor the mountain. The next two levels were private rooms, libraries, a kitchen, and a Meeting Hall for Council matters. While the King ruled the dwarves, each clan had a Council member. That Council member was responsible for watching over their clan, fixing minor problems, and taking the greater ones to the King. The Council also sat in with the King on matters of war and other big things, to provide him with advice if needed.

The very bottom floor held the entrances to the Great Forge, as well as all the smaller smithies.

It was mostly the same set-up for the other three posts. It was between them that the rest of the dwarves made their homes. Small townships, places where people lived and laughed and loved. But at each major post was the protection of their realm - their great cities.

Tony stepped into the Halls of _Nec_ and took in the familiar feel of it all. He stared up at the high stone ceilings and let his gaze run over it all, admiring the carvings that the dwarves put into everything. Their skill with stone was unrivaled.

Brynjar led Tony exactly where he'd expected him to; through a set of great doors as big as any seen on Asgard, and downwards towards the bottom floor. Tony had once, while deep in his cups, made a joking comment about the short dwarves – who came only to his chest even at his natural, short height – overcompensating by making everything around them so _large_. He'd been Einn at the time, and stupid enough to actually dare say something like that. The fight that resulted had ended with quite a few bruises and an ache in his shoulder that had taken almost three weeks to heal, even with his magic to help him along.

The long staircase took them down, down, until finally, it opened up into a massive cavern. Here there wasn't just beauty - there was life.

The cavern was massive, lit by fires placed at various points in the walls, and the fires that rose up from down below. It was divided almost perfectly in two by the flow of water far, far down below. _Nec_ was known for the river that ran through its middle, feeding into the valley inside and the lake that sat at its center. The smithies and homes here in _Nec_ had been crafted into either side of this river, far up above it, with paths that crossed back and forth between the two. The entrance to the Great Forge was at the opposite end of the cavern from Tony and Brynjar, with the four smithies between them. Two on each side, set on two levels. Each level on each side carried a smithy on one end and their home on the other.

Torches marked the paths, but the cavern was lit by something far greater. Veins of glowing light bled through the walls where the dwarves had uncovered some of the great crystals, some of which Tony didn't even know the names for, which had then had been carefully carved around to give them a sort of fluid shape. The crystals were imbued with magic that kept them glowing brightly.

The whole place was hot, almost sweltering, and immediately Tony felt himself begin to sweat. There was the sound of running feet and shouting voices, the crash of metal on metal, and the roar of the forges. People and carts were running here and there from building to building, the pathways a constant bustle. Some were working, some were shopping. Others were soldiers simply drinking and chatting. Tony's grin grew as he followed Brynjar through it all, and he felt some of the tension fall off of him just being here. He loved it here. Here, his engineering heart was able to soar free.

Brynjar took him down over one of the paths that crossed to the other side, exchanging greetings with others as he went. Some of them recognized Tony, and they called out a cheerful "Welcome back, Einn!" as they went. Tony beamed at them and raised his own hand to wave back.

Eventually, they went up another path, this one taking them to the top level of the cavern. There, they made their way further down to the far end where Brynjar's smithy was tucked into the corner. It was larger than the others due to his status here. By comparison, his home was much smaller, yet it suited his needs. He'd told Tony once that two bedrooms were all he needed. Any apprentice of his slept at the smithy in the chamber built there. His home was for him and for any guest he might entertain.

Tony had stayed here in Brynjar's guestroom the last time he was here. Walking through the front door, it was like stepping into the past. Not a thing had changed. Brynjar still had the same ugly blue couch that he'd had last time, and the gold, green, and blue chair that Tony had made himself. The couch was the only thing separating the rooms - the kitchen and dining room were open to the rest of the place. The kitchen itself wasn't much, but it was enough for one man who cooked only for himself and his apprentices, and who often preferred to make them go get him food from the market anyways. Tony had done that duty often enough when _he'd_ apprenticed.

To the right were two doors, the only doors in here, and they led to the two bedrooms. There was no bathroom or bathing chamber. Tony's time on earth had spoiled him towards that. Even on Asgard, he'd had his own bathing chamber in his rooms. But the dwarves were all about a quick wash in a water bucket for the day, and a bath every few days in the communal baths amongst the housing halls.

"Get in here," Brynjar growled at him, startling Tony out of his thoughts.

Tony hadn't realized he was just standing there in the door, staring. He gave Brynjar a sheepish grin and stepped inside, shutting the door behind him.

Brynjar was already stripping out of his helm and armor. His axe had been set in a stand in the corner of the room, and the helm followed after it, followed by the rest of his armor. Only when he was stripped down to breeches, boots, and vest did he turn around again.

Unlike most other dwarves, Brynjar's head was shaved, and his beard only came to his chest. He had it done in thick braids that were marked with heavy, thick beads made of Uru, a sign of his status as a Master Smith, as well as that of a Master Mage, a rare combination. Sometimes, though, Tony couldn't help but think the dwarf's talent lay more in his ability to glare at anyone and make them feel like a small child barely out of their first century. "You get knocked on the head or something, boy? Get in here and get those weapons off while you're in my house. An either clean up them clothes or get 'em off, too. I aint having you covering my house with blood, or you'll be cleaning it all later."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Tony's grumbles held no real heat to them. He pulled off his cloak and, when Brynjar held his hands out, passed it over, as well as his belt. After a moment's deliberation, he added his vest and tunic, too, leaving him in just boots and breeches. It was hot enough for that, and his spells were strong enough to keep his arc reactor hidden from even Brynjar. "Good to see some things haven't changed around here. You're still as ornery as ever."

Brynjar snorted as he went to go dump Tony's stuff in the spare room. When he came back out, he had a bag in his hand, which he used to gesture towards the table. "An you're as stupid as ever. Sit your ass down and let me get a proper look at you."

Smirking, Tony made his way over to the table. "Gee, Bryn, if you wanted me naked, all you had to do was - hey!" Tony was cut off by his own yelp when Brynjar hit the back of his knee as he got close, then caught his arm and used the fall to plop him down in the chair. Tony caught himself against the table and glared up at his friend. "What the hell, Bryn?"

The old bastard just grinned at him. "You were taking too long."

It took everything Tony had not to roll his eyes. Yeah, he'd called it right. Some things never did change. Brynjar was just as ornery as he'd always been and completely unafraid to call Tony on his shit. It was better to just go along with him than to bother trying to argue with him. That was why Tony simply turned himself so that he could rest his arms on the table and leave his back open for Brynjar to look at. It was the place with the most damage right now. Tony knew his ribs were a bit bruised, but that'd take only a few hours to heal. His back, however, was deeply bruised, and he was pretty sure one of the trolls might've split skin a bit when they struck once.

Judging by the sound Brynjar made, Tony was pretty sure his guess was right.

The bag Brynjar had brought out with him was set down on the table near Tony's arms and opened up for the dwarf to rifle through. A minute later he pulled something out and moved behind Tony's back. "This is gonna sting."

Tony didn't make a sound as the salve was applied to his back. He just bowed his head and stayed still as Brynjar spread it on there for him. After a moment, he offered a low "Thanks, Bryn."

He got a grunt in answer. A second later, more salve was gathered and applied a little higher on his back. "You're lucky your back's not broken. As it is, I'm pretty sure you got a few broken ribs, an that bruise down on your hip looks pretty nasty."

"They sent me through a few trees."

Tony didn't have to look to know that Brynjar was shaking his head at him. "You got more tolerance for pain than any idiot I've ever met. Plenty'a dwarves would'a been carried back by their friends after something like that. How in Grogr's Caverns you managed to keep on walking is a mystery."

"I'm just that good," Tony said cheekily.

He was rewarded with a firm jab against his hip that had him snapping his jaws shut.

It took about fifteen minutes for Brynjar to finish up with him. Tony was grateful for that time. The quiet allowed him to sit and think and try to process the new information that he'd gained. Factoring in the broken Bifrost and what it meant for the other realms was going to take some readjusting of his plans. There was a chance that the dwarves weren't going to be the only ones in their potential allies that would be fighting a threat at their own front door. The trolls... they wouldn't take too much to deal with. He had faith the dwarves would be able to defeat them, and if not, Tony knew he could call on Loki at least to come and help him protect Niðavellir. Probably the other Avengers, too.

He needed to gather information about the other realms and find out what things were like for them. Unfortunately, the only real way to do that would be to go from realm to realm and see what he could see.

That, Tony put aside for later. For now, he needed to focus on handling Niðavellir. The rest would come when he could.

When he cleared his head and once more focused around him, it was to find that Brynjar was done with him and had put all his supplies away. The older dwarf was leaning against the table with his massive arms folded over his chest - arms that, it should be pointed out, were likely twice, if not three times the size of Tony's own - and those sharp silver eyes were staring right at Tony's face. Brynjar was observing him carefully and reading what he could from Tony's face. Whatever he saw there had him worried. It showed in the furrow in his brow and the downward tilt of his lips. "It's something serious that brought you to our doors this time, aint it?"

"Yeah." No point in lying about it. He was here for a purpose, and there was no reason for him to hide it.

"You're safe?"

The fact that Brynjar asked that - before asking about anything else - warmed Tony like nothing else. His expression softened, and he smiled. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm safe." Then, because he wasn't going to lie, he tacked on "For now. Pretty soon, we're all gonna be in danger. A whole lot more than a group of trolls banging on your doors." As much as Tony wanted nothing more than to stay here with Brynjar and talk and relax, just a little bit, there was a reason that Tony was here. One that was more important than his own personal wants. "I need to speak with the Council. I know I can't get in to see the King without their permission," that much, he remembered, "and I need to seek an audience with him, quickly. This is something he's going to want to hear."

It spoke of the trust between them that Brynjar didn't doubt Tony in the least bit. He didn't ask Tony to tell him what was going on or start demanding answers or pointing out just how foolish all this was.

What he did do was stroll over to the front door and open it wide so that he could stick his head out and bellow "Fizik!"

A few minutes later Brynjar was stepping back to allow in a dwarf that was a good few inches shorter than him, making the poor guy short even by dwarf standards, and who was dressed only in breeches, boots, and an apron. He had flaming red hair that had been shaved into one strip down the middle of his head, though that strip was long enough to be put into multiple braids that were held in a bunch by two large metal beads, coming to an end at the small of his back. Like Brynjar, this one's beard only hung to his chest. It was also done up in tiny braids just like the ones on his head, and those were gathered together as well with one large bead that marked him as both Runerok Clan, and as a journeyman, a step above an apprentice. The way he held himself suggested it was something new. Which was likely, because most journeymen take a pilgrimage to either another clan or another realm, to study further before coming back and setting up their own smithy.

"Grab a few runners and go pass along the message that we got an emergency Council meeting here in _Nec_ in two hours," Brynjar said.

The guy - presumably Fizik - gave Brynjar a look of surprise. "Two hours, Uncle?"

Brynjar glared down at him. "Did I stutter? Move!"

It was almost amusing to watch someone else scramble under Brynjar's orders. Tony had definitely done it a time or two himself. Seeing Fizik hurry to race out of there was enough to make Tony's lips twitch.

His humor didn't last when Brynjar turned around to look at him. "All right, Einn. We got two hours till everyone's here. You got _one_ to explain to me what you've gotten yourself into now, an maybe we can help you figure a way on out of it."

He wasn't going to let Tony out of here without Tony saying _something_. As little as Tony wanted to explain this multiple times, he knew he was going to have to. And maybe, in telling Brynjar, Tony might be able to get some information of his own. "Tell me," Tony said slowly, shifting himself to better face his friend. "What do you know about the Titans?"

* * *

No matter how long he'd had to get used to the idea, it never got any easier for Tony to explain this to someone else. It seemed somehow worse this time. Maybe because he didn't have to clarify just how bad it all really was. Brynjar was smart; he knew exactly how dangerous it was that Thanos was coming for them. He knew who Thanos was, and he knew the kind of damage he could cause.

The instant that Brynjar realized what it was that Tony was talking about, and what was coming for them, he was cursing up a blue streak and was heading for the door with only a sharp "Stay here!" to Tony.

What he did while out there, Tony had no idea. Brynjar was gone for twenty minutes at the most. When he came back, the only thing he said was "Get dressed. We're heading to _Duc_."

"Bryn?" Tony was already moving, calling up his clothes with just a thought, making sure they were clean as he did. His hair had already been re-braided and the blood cleaned off his skin. It'd only barely been enough to keep him occupied while he waited for his friend. Now he was glad he'd taken the time to do it. If they were going to _Duc..._

Brynjar hung his axe once more around his waist, though he didn't bother with his helm or any other armor. He just pulled on a vest, grabbed a staff, and gestured for Tony to follow after him. He started talking in a low voice as the two hurried out of the house. "Matters like this, it aint just Council business. Even on a rumor, this is the kind of thing we got to take straight to the King."

Straight to... oh, fuck. Tony swallowed down the nervous lump in his throat. He hadn't expected to go in front of King already! He'd figured that he'd have to meet with the Council, push and prod at them, and then he'd have an audience with the King. By that point, he would've already had the Council at his back to help support him and make his words carry more weight with Eitri. Getting dwarves to listen to an outsider wasn't easy. Brynjar was different; he and Tony had enough history and trust between them. There was no reason for Brynjar to doubt Tony. The others, though? They weren't going to want to just take him at his word.

Tony felt like he was panicking internally the whole way to _Duc_. It didn't give him long to panic; despite the distance between the various strongholds, they had a much more straightforward travel system for emergencies like this. Tony had helped to set it up when he'd been here as Prince Anto. At each stronghold was a special door that had been carefully shaped and prepared with Uru and crystals to help hold the traveling spell that Tony had placed there. The right touch to the crystals, a bit of magic, and the door turned into a gateway with one of the others. Because of that, they were able to travel a distance that would've taken them days, in just a few short minutes.

Any other time and Tony might've appreciated the beauty around him when he and Brynjar arrived in the halls of _Duc._ Right at that moment, Tony wasn't really in the mood to do it. He was mentally trying to prepare himself for the meeting ahead of him. This wasn't going to be just convincing the Council - this was going to be trying to convince the King at the same time. He was going to have to deal with the protests the Council gave, their arguments and doubts, and find a way to counter them all well enough to make sure that the King didn't take them too seriously. _Dammit! I wish Brynjar had talked to me before doing this. I had a plan!_

There was no point in freaking out about it now. It was done, and Tony was just going to have to deal with the hand dealt to him.

With a deep breath, somehow Tony managed to push his nerves down, put aside his fears, and draw on the training that had gotten him through countless meetings. It wasn't only his time as Prince Anto but his time as Tony Stark that helped him now. This wasn't just war talks, it was a negotiation, and there was a reason that Tony Stark was a huge name in the business world. What he wanted, he inevitably got. He always found a way.

Tony had been following after Brynjar as he calmed himself. Now, as his attention focused around him again, he saw that they were in a long hallway that he would bet led to the Great Hall. In there, they'd likely head to the meeting hall that Tony had only heard about. But before they did that - Tony reached a hand out and caught hold of Brynjar's arm, stopping him in his tracks.

Ignoring the curious look he got, Tony held still and focused on himself, calling up his seidr. The clothes he wore rippled and shifted into something a whole lot more appropriate for the meeting he was about to have. His breeches were better quality, the leather of his boots clean and comfortable - well worn and yet still quality. The tunic he wore was a deep, dark red, fitted at his waist and loose at his hands like his other, and done up with gold buttons up the front. Again, good quality, though with just enough wear to it that it looked comfortable and older while still looking good. All in all, it presented the image of someone with money and standing, but not _too_ high. Not a commoner, but not a prince. Hopefully, that would help him.

"All right." Tony nodded his head and let go of Brynjar's arm. "Let's do this."

Brynjar gave him a once-over and then nodded. He clapped a hand on Tony's arm. "You'll do fine, boy. I'm not sending you in there alone."

One more deep breath and Tony nodded.

When the two started to move again, Tony loosened his gait and relaxed his posture, slipping more fully into the role of an elf. The image he was about to present to these people was very, very important, and he needed to do it just right, or he could screw them all before this even started.

The hall they were in opened up into a massive room. The ceilings were high enough a giant could've stood there, and the arches that supported most of it were some of the most exquisite that Tony had ever seen. Magic and runes were laid through most of them, and there were more of the crystals showing through the walls here, bathing everything in gold and blue light. Massive pillars helped to support the arches and marked a clear path to the grand stone staircase at the far end, atop which were massive doors that undoubtedly led to the throne room.

At the other end of that path were another set of doors, these ones leading outside. There were guards at each set of doors.

It wasn't to either of those that Tony was led, though. He followed Brynjar about halfway down the path until they suddenly veered to the left, where another set of doors was hidden behind an outcropping of rock.

The Council chambers. Their meeting room.

Any time that Tony had to prepare was done. As soon as he stepped beyond those doors, it was going to be time to get to work. He closed his eyes as he stopped behind Brynjar and waited for his friend to open the doors. _You can do this. You've been in worse meetings. You can do this._

The doors scraped over the ground and Tony opened his eyes. There wasn't a single hint of his stress, not a quiver in his step, as he followed his friend inside.


	12. Niðavellir Part 2

Tony's first impression of the meeting room - what Brynjar quietly told him was called the Council Hall - was that he wished Asgard had something like this. Honestly, he wished Asgard had a Council _at all_. Though it wouldn't do any good with a king that wasn't willing to listen to them. Still, if they did have an official council, Tony would want a room like this one, somewhere they'd be able to come and talk properly.

The room was long, with boxes on either side that held seats which reminded Tony of jury seating. Only, their chairs were nicer, and there weren't two rows in each box. Just the one. Two Council members were on each side, as well as two men that - if Tony remembered right, and was reading their beads correctly - had to be generals. Military.

At the far end of the hall sat a stone chair upon a dais. The King's chair. It put him in the middle of the two boxes with them to either side and left the long space between for the petitioner to come forward and speak. The whole setup was a smart one and one that part of Tony logged away to somehow bring up at a later point when talking with Thor. Odin would never do something like this, but Tony had hope he could talk Thor around to it. Asgard had The Thing, but it was nothing like this, and it should be.

None of those things were what was important right now, though. It was the King that held Tony's attention. He took notice of the dwarves on either side, and of Brynjar going to take his seat, but his primary focus was on King Eitri.

Eitri wasn't some soft dwarf who was king in name only. Those kinds of kings didn't last long here. They didn't _make it_ here. Dwarves didn't keep kings who couldn't continue to prove their strength. They could be challenged by anyone who was willing to take them on. A soft king wasn't tolerated.

What Tony knew from the last time he was here, Eitri had only been challenged twice in his reign, and he'd won both times.

He sat proud and tall, hair and beard hanging to his waist and marked with the beads that showed his clan, and his status as King. Sharp blue eyes watched Tony intently as Tony made his way forward and then moved down into a formal elven bow - one used for greeting visiting royalty. He sank gracefully down to one knee and folded his hands atop his other knee, dipping his head down. His braid slid over one shoulder to drape down in front of him.

Tony stayed like that for the long minutes it took Eitri to look him over. The waiting was a power play, he knew. One that he'd seen used many times before. It wasn't hard to stay still until Eitri finally spoke to him. "Einn Noson, it's been many years since you last roamed our halls. Master Brynjar says you bring us important news from beyond our world."

"I do, Your Majesty."

A quick peek upwards showed Eitri smothering a small smile. It was gone by the time he spoke again. "Rise. I'd rather hear this from your lips and not from the top of your head."

Tony didn't even bother trying to stop his grin as he pushed up to stand once more. Kings and Queens were different all over, and each one required a different way of handling them. With a dwarf king, Tony had learned that honesty, humor, and bluntness was the best way to do things. They didn't have the patience for word games, though they could argue until the mountains fell down around them. "I find it's easier to speak that way, too," Tony said cheekily.

Off to the side, he saw Brynjar roll his eyes and shake his head. He shot Tony a look that plainly told him _Behave!_

"Speak, Noson. What news is so important you make your way to our realm and through the trolls outside just to deliver it?" Eitri asked him bluntly.

 _Okay, time to do this_. This was Tony's moment, and he needed to make sure he did this just right. _Blunt is the way to do it_ , he reminded himself. _Just be straightforward and honest_. "I actually didn't realize the trolls were there, to be honest. I was a little sloppy in my arrival. But either way, it wouldn't have stopped me. This is too important." He took one deep breath in preparation and then stared right at Eitri as he said, "Thanos is coming."

The instant outcry wasn't unexpected. Voices shouted all around Tony, sounds of fear, protest, and denial, all of it mixing together in a cacophony of noise. Tony stood in the center of it and kept his eyes on Eitri. Their gazes held one another as the noise around them slowly died down. Only when he was sure that he'd be heard again did Tony once more speak.

"I know it's hard to believe, and I know it's frightening. But I've seen for myself just how determined he is to come. I've been living on Earth recently, and I was there when a human research area was attacked by a mage who arrived via portal, and who proceeded to kill and mind control people while also obtaining the Tesseract." Without once naming names, Tony told them a shortened version of events. He told them about the Tesseract, about how he'd been undercover as a human and ended up as part of the human team to take down the invader, and how he'd rescued said invader from being under the mind control of Thanos.

Here, Tony paused again, knowing that his next words were going to create chaos once more. "The one that he'd had under his control was Loki Odinson."

Sure enough, the room went crazy again. Only this time Eitri didn't let them. He slammed his fist down on the arm of his chair and shouted a furious "Quiet!"

Tony folded his hands behind his back - clasping his right hand over his left wrist - and he continued to watch Eitri. It was to him that Tony continued to speak. "Thor took the Tesseract back to Asgard to be properly guarded once more, but that's not going to stop Thanos. He's set his eyes on gathering the Infinity Stones, and he's determined to take down the Nine Realms in the process. A fitting tribute for his love, he believes. He's coming for Earth, and then he'll come for here."

"What makes you think he'll come here?" asked one of the Council members. The beads in his blond beard marked him as Burningeye Clan, who guarded _Loc_. So did his golden red eyes, a trait that only appeared in the magicians of that clan. On the way over, Brynjar had made sure to tell Tony the names of each Council member, though he hadn't mentioned the names of the two Generals. The Councilman for Burningeye was Thalgem.

Brynjar openly scoffed at him. "You think the Mad Titan is just gonna leave us alone once he's done with Midgard? If Midgard falls, we all fall. They are the gateway."

The representative of the Shadowfinger Clan - Sundir - gave a snort. He pushed his black hair back from his face and leaned forward to look down the box to where Thalgem sat. "Everyone knows the Mad Titan seeks only death. What makes you think he would leave us be?"

Stonefist's representative - Armdrom - sat back in his seat beside Brynjar and shook his bald head. "No. We need to protect ourselves. Once he's made his way through Midgard, he won't hesitate to come here, and we need to be prepared."

Okay, that was good, they weren't ignoring the possibility that Thanos would come after them once he got past earth. That was an excellent first step. But Tony needed more than that. He needed to steer them towards something that would benefit them all.

In the end, he didn't have to figure out how. Eitri took care of that for him. He'd been silent while the Council spoke, but when they paused, he filled the silence with a simple comment. "You didn't come simply to warn us."

"No," Tony admitted easily. He wasn't going to bother trying to lie or cushion this somehow. He was going to present it exactly as it was - a plea for help. "Midgard has strong warriors, and we're going to do everything in our power to fight against Thanos. But we're not foolish enough to think that we can do it on our own. Midgard is looking to make allies. Thor is speaking with Asgard, and hopefully, they'll be able to speed up repairs of the Bifrost. But I won't wait around to see. I came here hoping to court good allies - ones that we can trust to be there when we need, and to work with us." The implication that Asgard _wasn't_ worthy of that trust was clear.

The general on the left spoke out in protest before Tony even finished speaking. "No." His voice rang loud and clear through the room. "No. Midgard is weak, full of humans who stand no chance against any of us, let alone something as powerful as the Mad Titan. Why should we waste our warriors defending a doomed planet?"

"Instead, you'd let him destroy Midgard and open up his path to come here?" Brynjar demanded.

Thalgem glared across the way at Brynjar. "Who's to say he'd come here? His anger seems to be against Midgard. I say we let Midgard deal with it. We've got our own issues to deal with here, with the trolls."

"You're acting like an old fool," Brynjar snapped.

A sneer curled Thalgem's upper lip. "An you're spoiling the elvish brat just because you trained him once. He's not a dwarf, Brynjar, and he's got no loyalty to us. He'd take our aid and have us churning out weapons for them, or they'd throw us out on the front lines as cannon fodder. Just because you're loyal to him doesn't mean he's loyal to you, or to the rest of us."

There were quite a few murmurs of agreement to that statement, and Tony knew he was losing them. He was losing the room.

Out of all the realms, this was one that Tony knew they couldn't be without. They _needed_ the dwarves if they wanted to have a chance at surviving this. Their skills as warriors, their ability as craftsmen - they had so much to offer, so much that would benefit the massive alliance that Tony was trying to build. Not to mention, if there was any chance at beating Thanos, it was going to take _everyone_ fighting. Every last body they could muster. Thalgem wasn't wrong in that Tony wanted to work out something to get weapons, but it wasn't just taking them. He sought to work out some kind of trade. And he sure as hell didn't want to use them all as cannon fodder. Whether they believed it or not, Tony wasn't willing to just use them. To let them die.

But, they were right. Tony had no ties to them beyond his ties to Brynjar, and those weren't strong enough in their eyes to make him care about their fate.

If Tony wanted them on his side, he was going to have to do something and do it fast. But what? What could he do to convince them that he cared enough about them to keep them safe?

A thought came to him that had Tony going still. There was something he remembered reading the last time he was here... a reference in one of the history books... it'd spoken of forming alliances, of an old war, and a way to prove worth. Hadn't it said something about, oh, '... _a trial of strength to prove their worthiness...'_ or something like that? Tony searched through his memory until he found what he was looking for.

It _was_ a trial. A chance for someone to prove that they were a worthy and strong ally and that they genuinely cared for the dwarves as a whole.

If Tony remembered the wording correctly, a great power was called up from the depths of their mountains, and the challenger was forced to face that power and survive. Few ever did.

There was still a chance for the dwarves to deny an alliance afterward, but it'd never happened before. If the person won, it gave them high standing in Niðavellir and awarded them the option to be an honorary clan member if there were a clan willing to speak for them. With that status, an alliance was easy to broker afterward.

Tony had forgotten all about reading that. It wasn't something that was often done - only five times in all of Niðavellir's history if he recalled right, and only twice had it been successful - but at the moment, it was looking to be Tony's best option.

When Tony blinked his eyes and focused back on his surroundings, he realized that the Council was still debating, but it was really starting to look like Tony was going to lose them. If he was going to act, it had to be now. If they declared _No_ , he wouldn't be able to change their mind. A vote was final.

 _Now or never._ Tony didn't bother waiting for a pause in their voices. In a calm, steady voice, he called out "I invoke _Lorak-ha_."

The effect his words had was instantaneous. Silence fell over the Council Hall. All eyes now turned to face Tony, who kept himself straight underneath their stares. Now was not the time to show any sort of weakness. He deliberately avoided looking at Brynjar because of that; the last thing Tony wanted was to crack under the look he was sure would be in his friend's eyes.

Eitri was the one to speak. His voice was low and grave. "Do you understand what it is you offer here, Einn Noson?"

"I do." Tony moved his arms in front of him and clasped his right wrist with his left hand in a gesture that made his body language solid and yet less threatening. _No time for weakness. You've done it - now all you can do is follow through_. Almost immediately on the tail of that thought was another one: _If I don't die, Loki's going to fucking kill me for this. An if I do, Hel's gonna have my head when I get down there._

No one said a word as Eitri and Tony stared at one another. The silence in the room felt thick and heavy, yet no one dared break it. This wasn't a moment for them. The two locked eyes and held gazes for a moment that seemed to stretch into hours. Yet, Tony saw the answer just moments before Eitri nodded his head. "So be it. You have the night to prepare yourself, Einn Noson, and to seek a sponsor if you so wish. Come dawn tomorrow, we shall meet back here, so you may be escorted to your fate. May the Earth and our Lady bless you and grant you what you seek."

Just like that, the meeting was done, and Tony was dismissed. He walked from the Council Hall with his head held high and his steps steady.

* * *

Tony knew that Brynjar wasn't going to be happy with him and that he was likely going to be extremely vocal about it. The last thing Tony wanted was to be dressed down like a child in front of everyone, so, the instant that Brynjar came up to him in the hall, fury on his face, Tony gathered up his seidr. He reached out and caught hold of Brynjar's arm and then teleported them back to his friend's home.

It spoke of their comfort with one another that Brynjar didn't even stumble after landing. He immediately jerked his arm free from Tony's grip and then crossed his arms over his chest and called up that glare that Tony hated so much. "What in all the Nine Realms do you think you're doing, you idiot boy? Do you have any idea what you've done here?"

Tony fought not to wince at that tone. Oh yeah, he'd _really_ pissed Brynjar off this time. "I did what I had to, Bryn..."

"What you _had to_?" The furious snarl behind those words was enough to silence even Tony. "Oh, well, that makes it okay then, cause you're doing what you _had to_! I thought we got past this shit the last time you were here! I didn't put in all that effort to keep your dumb ass alive just so you could go and get yourself killed!"

This time there was no stopping his wince. The last time Tony had been here, well, he hadn't been in the best of places. It'd been years after Tony's banishment after he finally got the thread taken from his lips, and he'd found a weakness in the cuffs that suppressed his magic. Free, Tony had run far and fast from where he'd been, with just enough magic to disguise himself in what would soon become Einn. Somehow, he'd ended up on Niðavellir - he still wasn't quite sure how - and had almost immediately passed out. A few dwarves had been kind enough to bring him in and treat his injuries.

Tony's mindset at the time... it hadn't been a good one. He'd done a lot of stupid things. Like the fight he'd gotten into that had brought him to Brynjar. That fight, however, had proved to be one of the best things to have happened to Tony in the long run because it'd brought him and Brynjar together. Tony wasn't sure how long he would've survived if it weren't for Brynjar. The older dwarf had been there through some of Tony's darkest times. He'd helped him heal more than just his body.

Because of that, there were few out there that Tony respected or would honor more. Brynjar had been one of the few older male figures in his life that Tony could rely on. He hesitated to call him a 'father' figure. Fathers had done too much to Tony for him to like to use that word. But Brynjar was...special.

"I'm not trying to get myself killed," Tony said, his voice soft in contrast to Brynjar's furious rumbling. Arguing back would do nothing but escalate this whole thing. Tony needed to keep calm if he wanted to make Brynjar understand. And he did want that. More than anything, surprisingly. "Bryn... I know what _Lorak-ha_ is. I didn't go into this blindly. I've read about it in quite a few books, and I've asked questions before. This isn't a ritual I'm treating lightly. I _know_ there's a risk to it. I _know_ I could die. But I also know that, right now, the King and Council only see an elf giving them information. Someone that's not tied to them in any way, shape, or form. They can't trust that I'd involve them in anything and keep their best interests at heart. You and I both know I would, but they won't trust that. They _can't_ , not until I prove myself to them. This is the only way to do that."

"Do you even know what you're going up against?"

Tony shook his head. "I got the impression it wasn't something the challenger got to know until it happened."

A heavy sigh fell from Brynjar. Some of his anger faded away, and the worry seeped through. "Aye." One hand came up to wipe at his face. When he dropped it again, his eyes were serious and sharp. "It's not gonna be easy, boy. I can't tell you what you're facing. All I can do is help you get ready. You'll need weapons, armor. Someone stupid enough to stand with you and help get you ready. I won't be able to - I'll need to go spend the night preparing with the rest of the sorcerers."

The list of things that needed to be done seemed to work to ground Brynjar a little. The worry wasn't gone; it was, however, hidden underneath other things. Tony was familiar with that feeling. He knew what it was like to be worried, or scared, or angry, and to focus on what could be done to distract yourself from what couldn't be.

"It's gotta be someone from here if you're gonna be one of us..."

"You'll sponsor me?" Tony interrupted. Of course, he'd kind of guessed, but he hadn't been sure. Thinking it was one thing - hearing it out loud was something else entirely.

Brynjar's scowl showed him just how stupid he thought Tony was. Instead of commenting on it, he went on like Tony hadn't even spoken. "My nephew will help you. Fizik, he's a good boy. You saw him earlier. He was one of my apprentices, an he's got a talent that might one day keep up with yours. But he's restless. _Atiruu_ , as you once were."

 _Atiruu_ \- it loosely translated to unsettled, someone who was still seeking their place in the world. Tony could understand that. Sometimes, he felt that word still described him.

Seeming satisfied with his choice, Brynjar gave a firm nod. "Stay here. Get something on the stove - you'll need to eat soon, then fast through the night. I'm gonna get Fizik an' a few other things. We should have enough time to eat an talk before I gotta go join the others." There was something in Brynjar's eyes as he looked at Tony, a faint hint of worry that ran deeper than Tony had expected it to. Then the older dwarf was shaking his head, and he was gone.

The fact that Brynjar was so worried about this didn't exactly help Tony find a way to settle himself down. He was nervous enough as it is about doing a ritual he knew almost nothing about. Loki would've been furious with him! It wasn't like it was the first time Tony had just jumped feet first into something - and Loki had shouted at him for it plenty of times in the past - but this one seemed like it might be even more dangerous than usual.

As Tony made his way over to the kitchen to try and prepare something to eat, he found himself standing instead at the window, staring out over the cavern in front of him. His eyes, though... his eyes were seeing something else. Something from long, long ago.

* * *

 _Norns, that hurt! Anto curled himself in a little more and pressed his hand against his stomach. Hiding the gesture from those around him was hard. Thor and his trio were happily chatting away as the group rode back into the city. Anto commonly would've attempted to join in the conversation, at least a little, but speech had grown harder and harder these past few leagues as the aches in his body fully set in._

 _Every mark he bore was his own fault, he knew. It was what he got for stepping in and opening his mouth. He bore it all silently and gave the others no sign of just how much it cost him to keep upright on his horse._

 _Of course, there was one he couldn't hide it from, and that one person was naturally the one to be waiting for them when they reached the stables._

 _"Loki!" Thor's big, booming voice echoed around them, loud and happy. He dismounted and easily swept Loki up into a hug that their youngest brother didn't even bother complaining about or rolling his eyes over. That made Anto wince. Yes, he was in trouble._

 _Loki clearly was ignoring Thor's happy greeting as their brother put him down and told him "Tis glad I am that you've arrived home well! Would that you had been home sooner, you might have come with us. It was a glorious hunt, and a grand time in this small village we passed through."_

 _"I'm quite sure," Loki said dryly._

 _Holding in a wince, Anto brought his own horse to a stop and briefly contemplated how exactly he was going to get down without making a fool of himself. After only a moment thought he decided he'd been good enough to ride here; they could deal with his own version of transportation for a brief moment. With that thought, Anto disappeared from the horse's back and reappeared at his head. Luckily, he did it with his back to the others, so none of them saw the way his face spasmed with pain over going from sitting to upright so quickly._

 _By the time Anto caught his breath once more and reached out to get his bags and the reigns, he found a hand slipping past him to get there first. Loki waved a hand over Anto's bags and vanished them, and then caught hold of the reigns. At the same time, his other hand slipped through Anto's arm, carefully grabbing hold in a grip that was stronger than it appeared. "Come, Anto. I wish to hear tales of this 'grand time' you and our brother had."_

 _"Somehow, I get the feeling you already know quite a bit," Anto murmured dryly. He let Loki lead him forward, and when the reigns were passed to a stable hand, Anto made sure to say "Treat her well and make sure she gets a treat tonight. She's more than earned it."_

 _The stable hand gave a low bow. "Of course, Prince Anto."_

 _With that dealt with, there was nothing else to hold them off, and no reason for Loki to wait. He gave Thor a sharp "We shall see you at the feast tonight," and then he and Anto vanished from the stables._

 _It was no real surprise that it was Loki's chambers they arrived in. Nor that they arrived right next to his bed. Anto found himself firmly yet gently being shoved to sit down on the edge of the familiar bed. "Strip off your shirt," Loki's voice was sharp and curt, yet the worry that had been hidden before was now evident._

 _Anto tried his best, most charming smile. "Really, brother, what_ would _people say?"_

 _In response, he got a chilling look that made it clear just how little tolerance Loki had for his words at the moment. Anto just barely smothered a sigh. He wasn't going to get out of this. Mentally, he tried to prepare himself for just how bad this next little bit was going to be. Not just physically but mentally as well. Then he murmured a spell - too drained to focus on nonverbal spells - that sent the clothes from his upper body to rest, folded, on a nearby chair._

 _As soon as he did, he heard Loki's low, furious hiss. The scratches against Anto's front were nothing; light ones across his chest and stomach. Only one or two might scar. But his back... his back was a different story entirely. The skin there had been quite thoroughly flayed, and he was sure that there would be more than a few scars left behind._

 _Loki brought a bag over to the bed and made another pained sound at the sight of Anto's back. Despite the evident worry he felt, his voice was even sharper than before as he scolded Anto. "You imbecile. Never partake in something of magic you know nothing about!"_

 _Cold hands gently touched the very bottom of his back. Anto closed his eyes and gripped tightly to the edge of the bedding. "It wasn't as if I had any choice. Thor had already touched their sacred tree. Either I stepped in and used my seidr to get between them, or it would've killed him."_

 _"They practically killed you!" Loki snarled back._

 _It wasn't entirely accurate, but they'd managed to do some severe damage. When Thor had touched the Sacred Tree, the power inside had reached up, and it hadn't felt welcoming. That was why Anto had used his own seidr to reach out and get between the two, his hand sliding between Thor's and the tree. He hadn't realized what he was committing himself to by doing so. The seidr had latched on to him instead, and it was Anto who had been there when the villagers came and furiously shouted at the audacity of any who dared touch something so sacred to them._

 _Anto wasn't as smooth a talker as Loki, but he was smooth enough when need called for it. He'd managed to convince Thor and the other Warriors Three to go rest for the night, keeping them far away while the village elder had exacted the proper tribute that the tree's seidr demanded after being touched. A blood tribute. Anto could happily live his life without ever again having to feel the lash of a whip._

 _"If I'd let Thor do it, the tree would've latched on and drained Thor dry, no matter how tough he may think he is. My seidr was the only thing that protected me."_

 _"It almost took too much from you," Loki said. His hands were moving, and then he gently murmured a warning before touching the damp cloth to Anto's back to begin to clean the blood. The village elder had treated him, bandaging him afterward, but the ride back had torn things open once more. Especially since Anto had refused to let Thor know what he'd had to do to appease the village and the tree. Loki cleaned it all up with a hand that was steadier than his voice. "You are as much elf as AEsir, Anto. Your seidr is tied more closely to you than most. If they took too much..."_

 _"But they didn't." Anto turned his head, catching Loki's eye over his shoulder. He offered a small smile. "I'm fine, little brother. Sore, exhausted, and more than looking forward to my bed, but fine. This will heal soon enough, and no one else needs ever know."_

 _Loki let out a shaky breath and leaned forward on the bed until his forehead pressed against the top of Anto's spine, right where back met neck. His breath was warm, yet it sent chills down Anto's spine. The kind of chills that he knew belonged nowhere near this moment. A large part of Anto wanted that touch, that breath, to stay there. It wanted those long-fingered hands to slide around his sides, over to his stomach, and draw him in close, cradle him as they lay down. There, Anto knew, he'd find peace._

 _But those kinds of fantasies were just that - fantasies. Shameful ones at that._

 _Anto pushed them aside before carefully reaching one hand over his shoulder to lightly stroke at Loki's hair, ignoring the way it pulled at his lashes and made the pain flare bright. The pain was good. It helped push away thoughts that he shouldn't be having. "I'm fine, Lolo," Anto murmured, using the childhood nickname. "I made it back, right? That's what counts. I'm here now, I'm all right, and I've got you to help fix me up."_

 _"What will you do if I'm not there one day to help clean up after you?"_

 _Anto gave one last scratch at Loki's hair and then dropped his hand down. When he turned his head, a grin curling his lips, he found Loki already sitting up once more. "No doubt perish away under my own stupidity, yes?"_

 _Just as he'd wanted, the words teased a smile out of Loki, bringing back a small amount of light to his eyes. "Idiot."_

* * *

The memory drifted away from him slowly. Tony swore he could still feel the lashes against his back, his brother's breath on his spine. Even then, even when they were so young, so stupid - back before Loki's first child, even - the love he'd felt for the other had been there. Suppressed, yes, and a source of shame, but there.

As much as that made Tony's stomach twist with familiar pangs of shame and guilt, he couldn't help but with his brother was there now. Even if it was just to yell at him. These kinds of things were always so much more comfortable with either one of his brothers there with him, really.

Wishing and whining weren't going to make that happen, though. Tony shook his head and forced those thoughts away. He needed to clear his thoughts and focus on what was ahead of him. Right now, that meant getting food together before Brynjar got back.

Tony's thoughts must've carried him for longer than he realized. No sooner had he used his seidr to fetch food from his house - it was far easier to transport food than to create it out of thin air - and then used a little more seidr to cook it, the door was opening once more, and Fizik and Brynjar were coming in together.

Both of them were carrying leather-wrapped bundles. Tony couldn't help how he eyed hem curiously, yet he still had enough manners to gesture with one hand towards the freshly steaming pizzas on the table. "I made you guys a Midgard delicacy if you're interested in it. I think it's one of my favorite foods they've come up with, honestly."

"Go on an eat, Fiz," Brynjar said. His eyes stayed on Tony as he stopped in the space close to the middle of the rooms. There was a shuttered look in his eyes that Tony wasn't used to seeing there. Brynjar waited until Fizik had set his own bundle down and moved over to the table before he moved again. Even then, all he did was adjust the bundle he held, and then slowly begin to unwrap it. "If you're gonna do this, I figure we should make sure you're armed right, just in case."

"Okay..." Tony said slowly.

Brynjar paused at the last bit, his eyes lifting to Tony's once more. Then, without breaking eye contact, he pulled that last bit away and held his hands out so it was clear for Tony to see what was inside. "These belong to you, boy."

Curious, Tony dropped his eyes down. When Tony saw what was being held out his way, every inch of his body froze, and he felt his eyes go wide. For a long moment, it was like Tony couldn't breathe. All he could do was stare at the belt his friend was holding out. In it sat two innocent looking daggers that Tony knew were anything but.

Long before Tony had been Einn Noson, back when he'd still been Anto, so sure in himself and his powers, he'd come here to train with a different master, the one who had trained Brynjar - Hrodgeirr. Hrodgeirr had taught Tony so much about smithing, and about how to use his powers to help create things. How to reach out to the earth around him and listen to what she said. He'd taught Tony how to listen to the metal he worked with and let it sing to him about what it wanted to become.

During Tony's time with Hrodgeirr, he'd learned so much, not just about dwarven culture but about himself. And he'd made these.

 _Krasa_ and _Hata_ were twin daggers perfectly crafted for his hands. The handles were pitch black wood with thin veins of crystal threaded through that had been carefully sculpted to fit his hands, and the blades were made of Uru and imbued with more magic than Tony had ever put into anything else. It spelled them perfectly to him. Not even Hrodgeirr had dared try and touch them with hand or magic as Tony had made them, and he was a master at both magic and crafting. But, as they'd learned later, it wasn't good for anyone but Tony to touch the blades. There was too much risk. One was fine holding them, so long as the blade didn't break the skin. Once the edge broke skin...

It wasn't pretty.

Tony had named them _Krasa_ and _Hata_ , which meant 'shatter' and 'to damage or destroy,' and that was precisely what they did.

Thor was the God of Thunder, and also considered a fertility god, while Loki was a chaos god, the God of Mischief and Lies. But Anto? Anto had been a creation god - the God of Inspiration and Madness, two things that so often walked hand in hand. His skill had lain in the mind, with creating things and even bringing power and life to them, such as he did with the weapons he'd made, or with JARVIS. But his powers also went another direction. Madness could be used to fuel inspiration or to tear a mind apart. _That_ was the power that he'd poured into his daggers.

One touch, one tiny little nick, and the magic from those daggers would seep into the mind of their victim. The things it could do once there - Tony had seen one person survive for a fortnight after a tiny little cut from his blades. It'd taken five elven healers to come and clear his mind, and even then, he had never been the same again. He spoke of horrors, unlike anything he'd known existed. The elves said Tony had brought the madness of the Void to them.

These weapons... Tony had been so sure they'd been lost after he left. How the Hel had Brynjar gotten his hands on them? Tony couldn't focus enough to ask, though. All he could pay any real attention to was the fact that the dwarf had them at all. For Brynjar to be handing these to Tony meant only one thing. Tony looked up at his friend and felt his throat run dry. "You knew."

"Aye." Brynjar didn't blink or look away from Tony's face. He just stood there and continued to hold the weapons out to Tony. "The King knows, too. We've always known."

"And you still let me come here?"

Brynjar rolled his eyes and huffed like Tony was an idiot once again. At least it seemed to have erased the formality from Brynjar's voice. "Quit acting stupid. We don't care about who you were. You've proved who you _are_ plenty'a times, boy. That's all that matters to me."

Emotion clogged Tony's throat. He didn't know what to say. There were too many things inside him at the moment, and Tony had no idea how to begin to sort them.

With shaking hands, he reached out and took the belt from Brynjar's grasp. Bringing the daggers close to him allowed Tony to feel their familiar magic. It leapt out to him and sang their joy at being returned to him. Tony could only stare down at them while his thoughts tumbled all over the place. Through it all was one common thread - _they knew_.

"Einn?"

Tony didn't lift his eyes from the daggers. His hands were clenched into the leather strongly enough that he knew there was a risk of damaging it. Not that Tony cared. Pain and anger ached to break free from him. His seidr was clawing at the inside of his skin in a need to get free and _rage_ against his enemies, against _fucking Odin._ Yet, when Tony opened his mouth, his voice was soft. "You knew." A low, mirthless laugh bubbled up from him. "You knew who I was... but my own brothers didn't even recognize me." The leather creaked as Tony's grip tightened. His vision became slightly blurred. "Not even when we touched magic did he recognize me. But you... you _knew_. He... he took me from them. That Norns-be-damned bastard took me from them."

Silence fell heavily over the room. Tony could hear every creak of leather, every brush of cloth, as Brynjar moved a step closer. There was no sound from Fizik, who stood by the table silently watching them. Brynjar paused beside Tony. "The Allfather removed their memories of you."

That wasn't a question. Still, Tony nodded. Odin had taken his memories from Loki and Thor, but it seemed he hadn't taken the memory of him from anyone else. _I guess it was a good thing I always hid in disguise._ People might've recognized him.

Everyone except the ones he wanted.

He wasn't expecting the hand that fell on his shoulder. When he looked up, Brynjar was right beside him, sympathy showing clearly in his eyes. He didn't offer Tony any unnecessary words. What good would it do? Instead, Brynjar offered the only thing he could - his presence and his support. He stood there at Tony's side and gave him time to fight until Tony once more had his emotions and seidr under control. Only then did Brynjar give Tony's shoulder a squeeze and drop his hand away. "Come on, you need to eat, and I need to walk you through a few things before I leave you in Fizik's capable hands."

* * *

The Norns Bless both Brynjar and Fizik. They didn't mention anything about what had happened, and neither one of them treated Tony as anything other than Einn. They ate together at Brynjar's table while Brynjar gave Tony what little information he could.

"In the morning we'll gather together at _Duc,_ where you'll be taken to a chamber that will lead you through the tunnels, down underneath Hamarrknǫttr to our most sacred place," Brynjar told him. "Once there, you'll see a doorway. All you'll need to do is step through the doorway and face what's on the other side. When you're through, you come back."

Tony raised an eyebrow skeptically. "That's it?"

Spreading his hands out on either side of him, palm up, Brynjar calmly said, "It's all I can tell you, boy."

"No one knows what's in there," Fizik chimed in. His voice was a little lighter than Brynjar's and carried a lilt to it that reminded Tony just slightly of some of the African accents he'd heard on earth. A lot lighter, and mixed with a natural rough dwarven accent, but still a hint of it there. The young dwarf was happily eating his second pizza by then, and he shrugged when Tony looked at him. "The only dwarves that go in there are the ones that wanna be king or Master Mages. No one else goes in."

Hm. That hadn't been in any of the texts. Nor was it all that reassuring.

Brynjar nodded his agreement at Fizik's words. "You can take one person down there with you, an it's their job to wait outside the door. If you're not back in three days, you aint coming back, an they return an let us know. Sometimes, people come back, but they don't come back _right_ , an it's the other's job to get 'em back up here."

This was just getting better and better. Tony vowed not to mention any of this when he told Loki about this. Or, you know, maybe just not mention this part at all?

When it finally came time for Brynjar to leave, the two clasped hands at the front door, so many things being passed between them in just that simple gesture. Now that Tony didn't have to fear a reveal, he had no qualms in letting his seidr push to the surface and brush against Brynjar, who smiled at the touch. "May the Earth and Our Lady bless you."

"May the Earth and the Lady bless you as well, Brynjar Runerok."

The house fell quiet as Brynjar left them. Only when Tony couldn't hear his footsteps anymore did he finally turn around to the dwarf who was quietly waiting nearby. Tony looked him over. Fizik didn't seem to have any issue with it. He stood there with his hands in the pockets of his trousers, his feet and chest bare, and smiled like they were old friend about to have a great night together instead of two people preparing for what was sounding more and more like a doomed quest.

"Thank you," Tony finally said. "For doing this, I mean. It'll be nice to have someone there when I go in, and when I come out."

Fizik shrugged one of his massive shoulders and flashed a rather charming grin. "We're gonna be family. Cousins." To him, that seemed to say it all.

In a way, Tony supposed it did.

Brynjar had said that they should spend the night getting ready and then resting. Tony couldn't really think of what he needed to get prepared, though. Clothes were easy and could be called up with a spell. He was already armed. And rest... well, after tonight's revelations, and with what was waiting for him tomorrow, resting wasn't going to come easy. That really only left one thing to do.

Calling up a couple bottles of a dwarven drink akin to rum - only much more potent - Tony sat down in his chair and tossed Fizik a bottle before gesturing to the couch. "Looks like we got a while, an I'm nowhere near ready for sleep. Why don't you tell me a little about yourself, Fizzy."

The nickname didn't even make Fizik blink. He threw himself onto the couch and popped open the top of his bottle with an easy pull of the plug. "Only if you promise to tell me about Midgard. I've always wanted to go there."

"You got yourself a deal."

And that was how Tony passed the night. Drinking dwarf rum until the middle of the night and listening to tales of a kid who reminded him just a little too much of himself.


	13. Chapter 13

It was just before dawn when Tony and Fizik made their way to _Duc_. Tony had taken care when he'd prepared himself that morning for what lay ahead, dressing in clean leathers that were as close to the ones he'd once worn in the past without coming off as too clearly Æsir. His swords were at his hips, and his daggers tucked into sheaths on his thighs. The belt hadn't worked, not with his current swords - a problem which Tony figured he'd fix once he got home.

He wore no shirt as Fizik had said was necessary. Armed and ready, Tony walked tall and proud, while Fizik looked almost as nervous as Tony felt inside, and probably twice as excited. Tony didn't let any of his own emotions show. He had to keep himself calm and controlled. That was the only way Tony was going to get through all of this. He kept hold of himself with the control of someone who had spent almost their entire life living in some sort of spotlight.

When the two made it to _Duc_ , they were directed by guards into the throne room, where Tony wasn't the least bit surprised to see the Council members for each major clan, as well as each of their Master Sorcerers. King Eitri was there as well. They were changed from their usual leathers and linen that dwarves frequently wore. In their place were ceremonial leathers, no shirts, and each of them seemed to have extra ties threaded through their beards and their braids. Four of the dwarves had tall staffs that helped to mark them as Master Sorcerers.

All of them were waiting near a door in the far right corner of the room. A door that Tony didn't remember the last time he'd been in here. They were set up on either side of it, making a walkway that Tony knew was for him. Eitri was the only one not on the sides; he stood in front of the doorway, waiting for them.

Well - now or never. Tony walked up to meet his fate with all the bearing of a prince.

Brynjar was one of the first ones that Tony reached. He stood on the left, at the end, and nodded his head when Tony got close. Across from him stood Thalgem, who nodded as well when Tony stopped by them. Both of them bore staffs, and they both stretched them out in front of him, making clear that he needed to stop for them. "Who here speaks for Einn Noson?" Thalgem asked formally.

Immediately, Brynjar answered, "I do." He stood tall and proud, not a waver in body or voice as he smiled at Tony and said, "The Runerok Clan will sponsor him, and accept him to our hearth and home should he return to us."

"So be it," Thalgem said.

The two pushed their staffs forward, knocking them together, and Tony felt the swell of seidr that formed. It stayed in the air like a curtain as they drew their staffs back. When Tony stepped through, he felt it wash over him, seeping down into his pores.

The other two Council members didn't stop him, but the last two Sorcerers at the end _did_. Their staffs came out as well, blocking the last of the path between Tony and Eitri. The one on the left didn't even look at Tony as he told him, "When you reach the end of the tunnel, you will find a door."

"You must step through the door true to who you are. No illusions, shifts, or lies," the one on the right finished.

Oh. Tony resisted the urge to grimace. He was going to be deep underground here; there was no real risk of anyone else seeing him. _Not to mention, the most important people here know who you are._ That idea was going to take some getting used to. Realizing that he was somewhere that he might not have to hide...

Tony shook himself out of those thoughts and focused back on the here and now. Right at this moment wasn't the time to worry about what might be. He had to worry about what he was about to do and, you know, _surviving_ it. That was a whole lot more important than anything else.

The two knocked their staffs together, and Tony once more stepped through a curtain of seidr. This one was warmer, and he felt the purpose in it. This wasn't something that sank into him, like the promise of the last one. That had been the seidr of a binding promise, the beginning threads of tying Tony to Brynjar, should he return. This... this had _intent_. It was... a key. A key to unlock whatever it was that lay ahead. The next door, Tony assumed. A way for him to enter, and to make sure no one else could. Not without this magic on them.

When Tony reached Eitri, he felt Fizik finally come out from behind him to stand proudly at his side. Ready to carry the honor of the Runerok Clan and, in turn, Tony's honor, should all work out in their favor.

Eitri gave a small nod to Tony, the only acknowledgment he gave him, and then his gaze shifted over to Fizik. "Your job, Fizik of the Runerok Clan, is to watch over your future Clan Member and the Door, and to bring him back to us should he return."

At Fizik's solemn nod, the King nodded back, and then he was stepping away, and the doorway was clear for the two to go through. There were no more fancy words, no speeches, none of the long-winded talks that the Æsir or the Elves might've indulged in. This was simple, straightforward, and to the point.

Well, if they wanted Tony to do this true to who he was, they couldn't blame him when he flashed Fizik his cockiest grin and said, "Well, sounds like that's our cue, Fizzy Pop. You ready for this?"

The young dwarf laughed at him, and somewhere off behind him, Tony could hear a snort he knew came from Brynjar.

Tony walked through the door and into the tunnel with a smirk on his lips and a swagger to his step.

* * *

The tunnel was long, and Tony had to create a mage light - a glowing orb of amber fire - to light their way. Fizik, for all that Tony had learned last night could talk and talk and _talk_ , was quiet as he followed at Tony's side. He said not a thing as the two made their way down the tunnel for what had to have been at least an hour. When Tony broke into a slow, steady jog, Fizik just jogged beside him, easily keeping up with him.

Eventually, the air in the tunnel shifted, and Tony knew they were coming close. He felt the seidr that lived in the air around them - so naturally strong in these mountains - begin to grow stronger. That feeling grew and grew the closer they got to their destination until Tony swore he was breathing it in, feeling it fill his lungs. There was old magic down here. _Ancient_. It spoke of times long gone, and power, and a hint of something that was neither good nor bad.

The tunnel curved in front of them and then abruptly opened up into a vast cavern. There was nothing here in this perfectly carved out, smoothly circular room - except for right at the center.

Two columns stretched from floor to ceiling as if the stalagmites and stalactites had grown to one another and connected in the middle. They were thinner towards the center, becoming thicker the closer to the base it got. But it wasn't those themselves that caught Tony's attention.

It was the power that sat between them.

Between those two columns was a glowing blue light of pure seidr. A portal, or a doorway. This had to be where Tony had to step through. It was the only thing down here, and the only thing that made sense. Tony banished his mage light and took a step forward to slowly circle his way around the room. The doorway looked the same from both sides. It was just a sheet of seidr contained between the columns. All he would need to do was step through it. Simple, right? Except for… these sort of things were never simple. Walking through that doorway – Tony had no way of knowing what waited for him on the other side. Where it would send him or what would happen once he was there.

Tony tried to ignore Fizik behind him when he came to a stop in front of the doorway once more. Before he did anything, there was something else important he had to do.

They had said that this had to be done as Tony's true self. That there could be no hiding. Letting go of his illusions wasn't easy for Tony. If anything, it was one of the hardest things he'd ever done. The only way he managed it was knowing that the amount of seidr in this chamber was clearly enough to anything in here shielded beyond the eye of Heimdall and the Allfather. That was what gave Tony the courage to let go of every illusion he had over himself.

The light of his arc reactor shone clearly from his chest. Tony's body spasmed in pain for the brief moment it took to shift back to his normal height. He felt the rest of it, too. All the small changes that brought him back to who he was meant to be. Tony let out a shaky breath as he lifted his hands to look at them. Golden tanned skin, sword-calloused fingers. A hint of scars on his left wrist from things that made him shiver to think about.

His body wasn't necessarily _thinner_ like this, but the subtle shift in shape, the fluidity and grace that only elves seemed capable of, made him appear so. It took away the harder edge that human muscles appeared to have and made him look a little softer. More delicate. His facial hair was gone, too, as was hair on the rest of him except for his head. As Anto, he'd always been able to _choose_ to grow facial hair if he wished, but he'd never grown it naturally.

The hair on his head was about shoulder length. It was practically muscle memory to reach up and tie it back with a leather throng.

He stood before that doorway in his truest form - Anto Noson, banished Prince of Asgard, cast out of his home and out of his family - and drew himself up to stand at his full height. He threw one last look back at Fizik, who smiled at him. "Good luck, Master Einn."

Without allowing his step to falter, Tony walked forward and straight through the door.

* * *

Seidr rushed and rolled around Tony. It pushed against him, through him, and there was a hint of a scream tugging at the back of his throat, a flash of the madness that was a part of his very essence. The familiar sensation of the Void was mixed through it all. He was nothing, he was _everything_. There was no room to scream or think or _breathe_ as the magic gathered him up, twisted through him, and then spat him back out.

* * *

Tony landed hard and fast on something solid. His body hit hard enough that it skidded, sliding a ways before coming to a stop. He could feel the force with which he hit, and Tony knew he'd marked the floor.

He hadn't expected to find anyone nearby, so it was a complete surprise when he heard a voice - Steve's voice? - calling out "Holy - _Tony_?" There was the sound of running feet, and Tony had to force himself to move, to press his hands flat against the - smooth, cold, wood? - floor and push himself up. When he opened his eyes, he was stunned to find that he was back in the Tower. He was on the communal floor of Stark Tower, and Steve, Loki, Clint, and _Thor_ were rushing towards him.

Steve reached Tony first, dropping down at Tony's side. His hands were already moving, running over Tony with a familiarity that they didn't yet have with one another, checking him for injuries. "Are you all right, Tony? Are you hurt?"

"Jesus, Stark," Clint breathed out, sliding down to his knees at Steve's side.

Loki was batting away Steve's hands and then reaching out with his own to send a wash of seidr over Tony in a much more thorough check to make sure that he was okay. Tony found that he could only stare up at them. How had he gotten back here? What was going on? He'd been in a cavern a moment ago... hadn't he? On some sort of... some... quest? Trial?

It felt like it was slipping away from him. Tony furrowed his brow, trying to figure it out, trying to remember what had happened.

He didn't get the time to think. Loki's seidr faded, and he was grabbing at Tony's hands, yanking him upwards. "He's fine," the mage said. "We don't have time to figure out what's going on. Clint, get him out of here, now."

"Wait, what?" Tony tore his arm free when Clint reached out to grasp it. What was going on? There was something urgent that seemed to be tickling at the edges of his mind. Something big was going on.

Loki's eyes were bright and wild as they shot back to Tony. "There's no time, Anto! You need to go, now, before he gets down here!"

"We shall hold him off!" Thor boomed, hefting Mjolnir.

There was only a brief moment for Tony to be stunned at Loki's use of his actual name - he knows me, he knows who I am! - or to marvel at the open love that had been missing these past weeks from the eyes of the one to mattered most to him.

Then the whole world around them seemed to explode. The windows shattered as bodies came flying in. One look and Tony knew who it was - the Einherjar. Odin's men.

 _They'd come for him._

Loki leapt forward, daggers flashing, and Mjolnir flew through the air alongside Steve's shield. "Go!" Loki shouted, crashing into one of the Einherjar. "Anto, GO!"

Tony wanted to run, to get as far away from here as possible, away from his father and the beings he knew could capture him. But seeing Steve fly against the wall, seeing Natasha almost stabbed, Tony couldn't. He couldn't just run. Before he'd even thought about it, his feet were carrying him forward, and his swords were in his hands. These people here were his friends. His _family_. He wasn't going to allow Odin to ruin this, too!

Without hesitation, Tony threw himself into the battle, his swords in his hands as he spun his body through a dance he hadn't done properly in such a long time. He battled his way past warriors until he reached his brothers, cutting down anything that got in his path. There, he flashed a grin, one that Thor returned, and then they were spinning, their backs to one another as they'd once done so naturally, and they fought there, _together_.

The Einherjar stood no chance against the combined might of the three Odinsons.

However, there was one who did.

A swell of seidr was the only warning before a blast hit the room that sent them all flying. Tony felt his body soar through the air only to crash hard against a wall. He was trying to move even as he slid down to the ground, but something stopped him. Something that froze his body and sent ice flowing through his veins.

Chains clamped around Tony's wrists and forced him down to the ground. He felt his magic be sealed away and couldn't keep the scream inside. No, not again, _not again_!

The chains closed over Tony's wrists and dragged them down to the ground. He was forced to kneel, unable to keep the rest of himself upright under the power that was pressing down on him. Nearby, he heard voices shouting, heard Loki clearly demanding "No! Let him go!" and Tony wanted to tell him that it was no use, that he was sorry, so fucking _sorry_. But a boot came down on the back of Tony's neck and forced his head down low, face smashed into the ground between his arms.

"Did you really think you could run from me?" Odin's voice echoed with rage and power. It was the sound of Tony's nightmares; the sound of everything falling apart once more. _No, no, please, no! Father, please, PLEASE!_

The boot on his neck pressed harder until Tony was fighting to _breathe_. "It took a long time, but I've finally found you. I can finally do what I should have done a long time ago!"

"Father, please!" Tony choked the words out past the blood on his lips and the floor pressing against his face.

The boot was removed from his neck only for it to come flying into the side of his head. Tony cried out at the pain, unable to move away with the chains still firmly pinned to the ground. "How dare you speak to me, after everything you've done?" Odin roared at him. "You are no son of mine!"

Through split and bleeding lips, Tony found himself pleading, even as he hated himself for doing it. "Please," the word was broken, yet it still came out. " _Please_."

"This is your own fault. You've always been the selfish one. Do you see what your selfishness has done? What it has cost us? Look!"

What else could he do? Though he didn't want to, Tony looked up, and he had to fight back another scream. The Tower had vanished. They were on a battlefield now, the ground hard and broken underneath his knees, and there were bodies everywhere. The sky was dark except for the flashes of power. All around them were the screams of those fighting - and dying - and the sound of a heavy, mad laugh that chilled Tony to his bones.

But more than anything else, it was the bodies in front of him that held his gaze, and it was them that broke his heart.

In the bodies in front of him, Tony could see familiar shapes. Uniforms that stood out as clear as day to him.

The stars and stripes of Steve, his shield shattered to pieces at his side. Not far away were Natasha and Clint, his assassin twins. Clint was held to the ground by a spear, and Natasha was beside him, clearly having tried to shelter him and having failed.

Bruce... oh, blessed Norns, no! Bruce's body looked _mangled_. Limbs bent the wrong way, bones sticking out, his insides on the outside. Someone had utterly _destroyed_ him! Bile rose up Tony's throat, and he wanted to retch, only he couldn't, he _couldn't_. Not until he saw the two he'd been hoping against all hope not to see.

Thor and Loki were back to back, lying on the ground together. They'd plainly fought together and died together. There was nothing on the outside that showed except for a few bruises. Yet Tony knew as he looked at them that they were gone. There was nothing there to them, no power in Loki's body, no electric pull from Thor's. His eldest brother was staring, unseeing in death, to where Mjolnir lay shattered on the ground by his outstretched hand.

The Avengers lay spread out before him. Broken, beaten, bleeding. Steve, Natasha, Clint, Bruce. Thor. _Loki_. A sob tore its way up Tony's throat, and he couldn't stop from retching this time. Brynjar was there as well, his hammer broken at his side. And, oh _Norns_ , there was Fizik, his limbs crushed and mangled.

Tony sobbed and screamed as the pain inside him grew. He hadn't saved them. All that he'd done, all he'd hoped to do, and he hadn't saved them.

A hand fisted in his hair and forced his head up. Tony hadn't realized that he'd looked down or closed his eyes. Did it even matter? That image was going to be burned into his mind for the rest of eternity. Yet, the hand in his hair forced his head up, making him look once more at the deaths of those he loved.

"This is your fault!" Odin hissed furiously at him. "You bring death and destruction wherever you go. Your very presence poisons the lives of those you claim to love. You seek to help them, only to bring them their doom! I should have destroyed you while I had the chance. Slit your worthless throat and left you to die with the monsters you profess to care so much for."

The hand in his hair let go, and Tony didn't have the strength to stop himself from tumbling down. He crashed to the ground. Sobs tore their way up his throat as he lay there in the dirt and the filth and felt his heart be ripped to shreds. _My fault. It was all my fault. Why didn't I help them? Why didn't I save them? Why wasn't I enough?_

There was no telling how long Tony might've merely lay there, broken down to the very core of himself. The dark, secret places inside himself where he'd been broken already for so long. Tony lay there with no strength left in him to rise. He couldn't even fight it when something hard and cold curled over his cheeks. They were like hands, only harder, and shaped so strange, yet they cupped his cheeks with such gentleness as they inexorably drew his face upwards.

"My child." The soft words were like a whisper on the wind. They blew down his spine and left a shiver in their wake. And somehow, they took away the other sounds, the screams and laughter gone until they were only memories. "My sweet child. So broken, yet so strong. You need to rise. This is not yet your time."

No, he didn't want to. He couldn't. How could he rise and face everything, with those that he loved gone? Tony couldn't do this alone. He couldn't!

"You can, and you will."

Tony shook his head, never breaking free from the touch that held him. "I can't." It was just too much. Hadn't he suffered enough? Given enough?

Cold swept over his cheeks in a gentle and soothing touch. "My General. My Merchant. It was always meant to be you."

It took everything Tony had to force himself to open his eyes. There was no room left in him for surprise when he found himself looking up into the skeletal face of Lady Death. The fear he might've customarily felt was absent. Tony only felt grief, and pain, and the lingering traces of his own madness.

Many feared her, and Tony knew they were right to do so. But as he stared up at her, he found the Lady smiling kindly down at him.

"This time is not set in stone. It is an image, a possibility. Hints of things that may yet come to pass. A future that will have a higher chance of coming to pass should you stay here. Yet, if you go back, I can't promise that you'll stop it. I can't promise that those you love won't find my embrace. I can't promise that you'll win, though their chances are better with you there." One of her hands slid up to brush his hair back from his face in a gesture that was oddly maternal. Her voice softened, a cool breeze with just a hint of darkness at the edges, like the wind blowing over the Void. "What I can promise you is that there will be pain. Pain beyond anything you've ever imagined. But there is also the potential for the kind of joy you can only dream of."

Tony's lashes fluttered, and he felt the tears burn their way down his cheeks. "I don't know if I'm strong enough, my Lady."

She smiled at him. "Let others help you find that strength. You don't carry this burden alone, my General."

Once more, Tony closed his eyes, his head bowing low. He felt it as she leaned in and a cool kiss was pressed against his brow. "It's time to go home," she whispered against his skin.

Power rolled down along Tony's skin as he once more fell into a world made up entirely of seidr, taken from this horrible place and transported back to where he needed to be.

* * *

Tony once more hit the ground. This time, though, he didn't go rolling. Instead, Tony curled his body inward, arms wrapping around his waist to hold him together as sobs tore their way free past his lips. His whole body was aching and screaming, and if he'd had anything left in his stomach, he would've been vomiting once more.

Arms came around him that Tony didn't have the strength to fight. They gathered him close and held on to him as Tony let out all the grief that sat inside his heart.

It had all felt so real while he was in there. Now that he was out, now that his mind was clearing, Tony could see it all for what it was. The doorway made a person face their fears. It showed them the things inside that they were terrified of, things they didn't want to speak of let alone even acknowledge, and forced them to face it. Only those strong of mind and strong of heart would be able to come back from that. No wonder so few had survived. Had they just come back, mad with what they'd seen? Or had they been trapped there? Died there?

Tony blinked open watery eyes and stared down at the marks on his wrists from the shackles he'd worn. The injuries he'd gained in there were real. If he had died, it's likely he would've been killed for real.

But he hadn't. He hadn't died. Nor had he broken - not wholly. Oh, there were new fractures inside, places where the walls Tony had fought to make had crumbled down. But he could still feel the press of the Lady's kiss on his forehead. Feel the strength she'd fed him as she sent him back here. _You can, and you will_ , she'd told him.

What Tony had seen... she'd said the chances of it coming to pass were greater without him there. If he wanted to stop it, he had to get up, had to keep on moving and keep on fighting.

 _There'll be time enough to break once it's all done. Sufficient time to rest, then._ Right now, Tony's friends and family needed him. They needed whatever he could offer. Tony had to get up and fight. He had to make sure that he did everything possible to make sure a future like that _never_ happened. And he had to make sure that if he _were_ taken by Odin once more, that everything he'd worked for wouldn't be in vain. That they'd be able to fight without him.

Though it took all his strength, Tony slowly, carefully, pushed himself up to his feet, leaning heavily on Fizik as he did.

Once he was on his feet again, he drew away from the dwarf's touch, bringing himself to stand at his full height on his own two feet.

When Tony had walked into that doorway, he'd done it as Anto, with all his training keeping his spine straight. Now he stood there as himself - nothing more, nothing less. Tony, Anto, Einn. They were all him, and he was them. The lessons he'd learned as each one of them were what gave him strength now. Tony didn't try and deny them or ignore those parts of himself. Instead, he let the power of them fill him, and it drew him upright until he stood proud and tall.

He looked to Fizik and found the dwarf watching him with open awe. "Prince Anto." Fizik crossed his arms and pressed his fists against either shoulder before bowing low. It was a sign of deep respect.

The time for playing was done. Though Tony knew he'd have to don a mask once he got back home, here and now he just let himself _be_. That confidence showed in his tone as he told Fizik "Rise." He waited until the other was upright before giving him a small, kind smile. "You don't have to bow to me, Fizik of the Runerok Clan. We're family now, aren't we?"

"Aye," Fizik said easily. He dropped his hands down and hesitantly offered a smile in return. The awe was still there in his eyes.

Tony reached out and clasped a hand over Fizik's shoulder. "Come on, then. Let's go back home."

* * *

The Council and King were waiting for them when they reached the throne room once more. How long Tony had been down there, he had no idea. It could've been hours, or it could've been days.

But when they stepped out of the tunnel and into the throne room, they found the Council and King waiting for them like they'd never left.

Tony walked of his own free will to where Eitri waited for him. He didn't look at anyone else, or speak to them. His eyes were for Eitri alone. When he got close, he sank down to one knee, just as he'd done in the Council Hall, head bowing low. "Your Majesty."

"Rise," Eitri commanded him.

When Tony rose to his feet, Eitri stepped towards him. He looked up at Tony's face, and there was an ancient look in his eyes that told Tony he wasn't the only one to have walked through that door. Eitri looked at him with the gaze of someone who had seen the horrors there themselves. Who had known that pain and taken it into them, using it to make themselves stronger.

A smile curved the King's lips. He held one hand out to Tony, palm up. In his palm sat a single bead made of Uru, with the symbols that would mark him as Master Smith and Master Mage of the Runerok clan.

There were no words for this moment. No one said anything as Tony took the bead and then reached back to carefully gather together the top half of his hair. He formed a top knot, only instead of knotting it, he created a braid, and he wove the bead into it.

Eitri's smile grew. He reached out and grabbed Tony's hand, raising it up into the air as they turned to face the Council members watching them. "Let us welcome the newest honorary member of the Runerok Clan," Eitri called loudly, his voice echoing in the room around them. "Welcome Einn Noson, traveler. Welcome, Anto Odinson, banished prince of Asgard. Let us welcome to us now, Anto, of the Runerok clan!"

The cheers were deafening. Tony was beaming as the others all came forward and welcomed him each in turn with hugs and laughter. When Brynjar finally reached him, he was grinning, his whole face alight with the kind of pride and joy that put a lump in Tony's throat. He bent down low and let himself be wrapped in the arms of his friend - his family member, now - and let it soothe away some of the grief that still lay inside him.

When they all pulled back, Eitri grinned at Tony and made a 'Come on' gesture with his hand. "Come. I believe we have important matters to discuss, Prince Anto."

"I'm not a prince; not anymore," Tony felt compelled to point out. He wasn't going to lie to them. He'd made the decision to be himself here; to be true to who he was. That meant honesty. "The Allfather banished me centuries ago."

Eitri smiled. "We know. Word trickles down, even if there are those who wish it didn't. We've heard enough rumors and whispers to piece together some things. They just don't matter to us. Especially not now." Reaching out, Eitri clapped a hand on Tony's shoulder, firm and strong. "To us, you are a Prince. You've earned that title far more than others. To the dwarves, a King, or a future-King, must _earn_ their title, or it can be taken from them. You have earned yours this day. Odinson or no, we recognize you as who you are - Prince Anto of Asgard. And it is with the Prince that I will seek to make the alliance that may hopefully help to save us all."

* * *

The treaty took almost six hours for them to hammer out. Now that Tony had proper standing amongst them, his voice carried so much more weight. They didn't doubt his intentions towards them. By returning as he had, it proved to the dwarves that Tony was strong enough to fight, strong enough to lead, and his ties to the Runerok Clan left them confident that he would see them as a family. That he wouldn't just sacrifice them for the sake of the other realms.

By the time they walked away, Tony was more than happy with what they'd come up with between them. They'd been firm in that the alliance between them and Tony - not Midgard, not Asgard, _Tony_ \- and it'd taken him a bit of work and some more give and take before they agreed that the alliance should fall to Loki in the event of Tony's death.

It was everything Tony had wanted when he'd come here, and so much more. He'd come to make an alliance, and he'd done that, but he was walking away with a family, a place to belong, and a peace inside himself that he'd been without for so long.

Brynjar knew better than to ask for Tony to stay. As they made their way to the front of the castle, he told Tony, "Usually, there'd be a feast in your honor, with you seated amongst your new Clan. We'd celebrate for days to honor your place in our Clan. Unfortunately, we understand that time is of the essence for what you're doing. But know that we're all gonna be sitting up tonight and raising a drink or twelve to you, my boy."

"Thank you, Brynjar." Tony stopped at the doors and looked down at his friend. "For... for all of it. Thanks."

Grinning, Brynjar rolled his eyes. "You've always been family, boy. This just makes it more formal now."

There'd been enough tears for today. Tony didn't want to embarrass himself by shedding a few more here in front of anyone that might pass by. He settled himself for reaching out and clasping arms with Brynjar one last time. "Until we meet again, my friend. May the Earth watch over you and the Lady bless you."

"And may they do the same for you, my boy, wherever you go."

Just as Tony let go and started to turn away, a voice called out to him. "Oy! Master Anto!"

Both Tony and Brynjar turned to look towards that voice. They found Fizik running towards them. He'd changed since Tony had seen him last. He was in a pair of breeches, with a tunic and a leather traveling vest belted over it. Over one shoulder was a single bag, and at his waist sat two small axes. Another strap over his chest held both quiver and crossbow.

It only took the one look for Tony to realize what was going on here. He was already starting to protest before Fizik even reached them. "Oh no. No, no, no, Fizzy..."

"I want to come," Fizik interrupted him, voice firm. He stopped in front of Tony and looked up at him, not giving Tony any time to form any more protests. "I've studied here and earned my journeyman status. Now it's time for me to go abroad and study with someone else. I don't want to study with another of the clans here - everything is all the same, just a little different in each place. I want to go places, see other cultures, and learn their ways."

"Then you should totally do that. Go, find a Master, someone proper to study under. With me... I'm going back to prepare for war, Fiz."

His words didn't deter Fizik in the least. "I know." He straightened up and met Tony's gaze without flinching. "I've heard about your skills, an I've seen the kind of man you are. There's much I could learn from a Master such as you. What's more, this is where I'm supposed to be. The earth tells me so, an she's never steered me wrong. I'd be proud to serve you, Master Anto. Both in the forge and on the field of battle, as the Lady wills it."

Oh, _dammit_. There was entirely no way Tony could deny that without offending not only Fizik but the rest of the Clan as well. From the way that Fizik was grinning at him, and Brynjar was smothering his own grin, the two of them knew it, too. Tony couldn't refuse to take Fizik with him. But, bringing him back to the Tower was going to be one hell of a mess. There was no telling how the Avengers would react to things, or how Fizik would deal with Thor or Loki, or how SHIELD was going to respond to another alien race appearing on earth before proper negotiations were formed. Anything that happened to Fizik, it was going to be on Tony's head. He was going to have to defend him, and accept punishment for any actions Fizik undertook while under Tony's command. The younger dwarf was going to be his responsibility. As a Clan member, a younger family member, a battle-brother, and the apprentice that Fizik was asking to be.

Any of those on their own were enormous responsibilities. All together? It was a lot. Yet, there was no way for Tony to get around it.

He let out a low, heavy sigh, and glared at Fizik. At least the guy was strong enough to not wilt under that glare. He beamed, making it clear he knew he'd won.

"You'll have to call me Einn," Tony warned him, growling only a little. "Or Tony. I go by Tony on Earth."

"Of course, Master Tony," Fizik agreed readily.

"And no mentioning who I really am, or any of that. No one there knows who I am. You heard Bryn and I talking before - you know that my family doesn't even recognize me. None of them know who I really am and I expect it to stay that way. You spill this secret to them, and I'm taking it out on your hide before I ship you right back here." He paused long enough to get the boy's eager nod and quick 'Of course, Master Tony!' again. Tony hardened his stare a little more until some of Fizik's smile wiped away. "Just because I'm Æsir, an part elf, and I live on Midgard, don't expect that to mean I'm an easy teacher. I won't ask more than you can give, but I'll expect hard work out of you just like any other teacher would. Remember, I've studied under Brynjar. I think you'll find a lot of our teaching methods are the same."

Fizik winced only a little before nodding again. "I can handle it, Master Tony. I can take anything you throw my way."

 _This is going to me just freaking great._ Tony sighed and rolled his eyes. "Oh, they're gonna get a kick outta you, kiddo. All right, well, grab on. I hope you've got a strong stomach. I've been told this feels a bit weird for those that aren't used to it, an we've got a few stop to make before heading back home."

Fizik reached out and eagerly curled his fingers around Tony's arm. With one last look at the world around him, Tony gathered his seidr, carefully donned the guise of Einn once more, and the two vanished.


	14. Chapter 14

Staying at Tony's tower without Tony actually being present was a rather strange feeling. Most all of the wards that the other mage had put up were self-sustaining. Loki didn't have to do anything to them. But there were one or two that JARVIS informed Loki needed to be checked on daily.

The fact that Tony seemingly trusted Loki to keep up on those wards, and to offer magical protection to the team in his absence, wasn't something that Loki took lightly. The others might not realize the significance of it - Loki did. It was yet another display of Tony's trust that was absolutely stunning. Far beyond anything that Loki would have expected from someone he honestly barely knew.

It was something Loki often pondered during the days that Tony was gone. There wasn't much for Loki to do - sparring would've been good, but he wasn't quite sure he wanted to run the risk of hurting any of these humans, no matter how enhanced any of them were. That meant that Loki mostly sat around, read, planned, plotted, and wondered. More often than not he found his thoughts wandering to Anthony Stark.

Tony was a puzzle. One that Loki felt like he didn't have even half the pieces for. He was a marvel and a mystery. Something _different_. And that... that had always been a combination that Loki was drawn to. The little glimpses he got only made Tony more appealing. Their conversation the other night on the roof had just helped to fuel that along.

His distraction didn't go unnoticed by the rest of the house. There was one there that knew him far better than anyone else here, having spent time under his control. Loki couldn't say that he was all that surprised when his Hawk sought him out the second day after Tony's departure.

Loki was doing his morning meditation and checking the wards over the tower when he felt a presence join him on his balcony. He heard the whisper of movement and then soft feet landing somewhere nearby. Even if his seidr hadn't told him who it was, there would've been no doubt in Loki's mind. Only one being would drop onto his balcony from above like that. Loki didn't bother opening his eyes. He just continued his meditation as he heard Clint settle in somewhere nearby.

Only when Loki finished his meditation, and his eyes were open once more, did Clint finally speak. What he said wasn't what Loki was expecting. "So, is this just you being your usual broody self, or is there an actual reason we should worry about Stark?"

Those words had Loki looking up, a glare already forming. He found Clint sitting on the railing nearby openly smirking at him. Loki pressed his lips into a thin line. "I am not _broody_."

Clint shrugged one shoulder and flashed a sharp grin Loki's way. "You were always brooding over _something_ before. I just figured it must be a natural state for you or something."

 _Insolent mortal!_ Loki glared harder at him. "I was _not_ always brooding! I was under mind control and facing random torture to remind me of my place."

The archer was quite lucky that Loki bore a soft spot for him. It was the only thing that kept Loki from lashing out when Clint waved a hand dismissively at Loki's words. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Either way that doesn't answer my question. Brooding, or real concern? Cause Stark gave the impression it wasn't any big deal, but I get the feeling he's downplayed things a whole lot more than any of us ever realized. At the very least, we've learned his masks are better than expected. No one even guessed he wasn't human."

For the moment Loki chose to ignore Clint's dismissive words. Instead, he focused on the other part of things. "Of course not," Loki said easily. He folded his hands down into his lap, yet didn't bother rising. Not yet. He was comfortable where he was. Besides, despite the circumstances they'd known one another under, there was a level of comfort with his Hawk that Loki had with very few people. "Anthony is an elf - a natural born shapeshifter. To learn the control to maintain those kinds of illusions requires the ability to control oneself. He has had plenty of time to master that ability and, in turn, learned control of himself that very few would be capable of seeing through." Though there were tells - there were always tells. Tiny things that gave a person away.

Clint drew his legs up until he was literally _perched_ on the railing. His arms folded to rest on his knees, and his chin came down to rest upon his arms. "You think he's hiding something from us about this trip?"

 _I think he's hiding a great many things,_ Loki thought to himself. He kept those words inside, though. No need to share those thoughts with anyone else. Not even with this one. "I believe he is confident, yet unsure. There is a risk in approaching any of the realms, especially without the backing of Asgard behind us yet. Few do anything without Asgard behind them, or on their side." They didn't want to piss off Odin and find themselves the next stage for his war games.

"Hm." Clint tilted his head and carefully studied Loki's face for a moment. There was no sign of distress on him. None of the anger that Loki still expected to crop up.

However, there was concern. Honest concern for their absent compatriot. Tony had done quite well in swaying at least this one to his side, drawing him further and further away from SHIELD. Clint was honestly worried about whether or not Tony was going to be safe. While Loki couldn't make any promises, perhaps he could at least offer some reassurance. "Judging by the way he spoke, I'd take a guess that Anthony spent time with the dwarves before. That would mean he has knowledge of them, and of what kind of behavior is expected. So long as he does not mortally offend anyone, the worst he'll get in their realm is tossed out. Dwarves do not kill just for the joy of killing."

Though the words weren't much, they seemed to work well enough to soothe some of Clint's ruffled feathers. He visibly relaxed in his seat and even offered Loki another smile. "Thanks."

Loki tilted his head to study the confusing mortal in front of him. While Tony was a massive puzzle, full of layers and tricks and missing pieces, sometimes it seemed as if Clint were equally confusing. He didn't behave in a way that Loki understood at all. So far Loki had held back from commenting on it. But he had to know... "You, confuse me."

"I get that a lot."

"You should hate me," Loki pointed out. "Rightfully so. And yet, here you sit."

Clint's lips twitched. It made his nose wrinkle just the slightest bit, and his eyes spark with good humor. Those were expressions that Loki knew well. He'd studied Clint's face more than once during the short time that he'd had him under his control. The archer had been a fantastic second-in-command. He not only took orders well - because of the mind control - but he _expanded_ on them in a way that was purely _him_. Clint had pointed out errors in Loki's thinking; various things that he said didn't make sense for the plans they were making. Of course, he hadn't known that Loki was also mind controlled, or just how hard Loki was fighting to try and break that. How he was subtly trying to manipulate things so that it would look as if he'd obeyed while, at the same time, causing them all to fail.

"I don't hate you," Clint said, finally. "I could've. Oh, man, I really could've. It would've been easy, too. You were mind controlled, too, but it was _you_ who chose who to take under your own control. You're the one that made the decision to take me and use me." Pausing, he huffed out a breath. Then he shook his head before looking back up at Loki again with a sardonic sort of gaze. "I felt that, you know. I felt how pissed off the Other was when you first took me, an how pleased he was afterward."

A cold horror slowly gripped Loki. His entire body was frozen under it. There was no way he could've moved in that moment. All he could do was sit there and stare at Clint and hope that his face didn't show just how truly horrified he was. "You felt that?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I did. Which is why I can't ever be pissed at you. Because... if that was what you were living with, there's no way in hell I can blame you for doing whatever you had to just to get the hell away."

In Clint's eyes and his voice was an acceptance that Loki had so far felt only from Tony. The others seemed to understand what Loki had been through, yes. Objectively they realized that he'd been tortured and that torture made people do things they otherwise wouldn't. They accepted that he'd been mind controlled. But with Tony - with Clint, now - there was more to it. They didn't just see and accept it. They _understood_.

There was no telling what Loki might've said or done next. Emotion clogged his throat, and he could feel words he didn't usually dare say threatening to push their way forward.

Fortunately, he was saved from embarrassing himself by something pinging through the wards. At the same time that he felt it, he heard JARVIS say "Master Liesmith..." and then the sensation became stronger, and Loki knew - Tony was back.

And he wasn't alone.

* * *

The alarm that blared through the tower drew the attention of everyone. Loki teleported both himself and Clint down there the instant that he felt Tony's arrival. No sooner had they hit the ground than Clint was pulling a knife from his waist, not having brought his bow with him when he'd come down to talk. Loki had seidr in his hands - ready to be called in an instant to attack or defend as need be.

One look at the two in front of him had him going still and holding in that power.

Tony wasn't disguised as Einn; he looked like Tony Stark - and he also looked like he'd been to Hel and back. His clothes were dirty and torn, there was blood coming from a wound on his left temple, and more blood seemed to be showing on other parts of him. At his side stood a red-haired dwarf who was just as dirty and bloody, only far steadier. The dwarf was actually helping to hold Tony up.

Swaying dangerously, Tony leaned in against the dwarf and groaned. "Ugh - J, too loud, buddy. Shut it off. We're fine - he's a friendly." The instant the alarm shut off, Tony's body slumped, and it was clear that the dwarf was mostly holding him up now.

Loki was moving before he'd even thought about it. In an instant, he was across the room and reaching for Tony. It stunned him to find that the dwarf jerked himself and Tony back, pulling Tony away from Loki and putting himself between them. A small axe appeared in his hand and was held up in an openly threatening gesture. "Unless you'd like to lose a limb, I suggest you back off."

Temper and seidr darkened Loki's eyes. He held himself back, though. No matter how much it worried him to see Tony looking like this, or how desperately he wanted to snatch the man to him and make sure that he was okay, Loki wasn't stupid enough to try and step between the two right at the moment. The dwarf was very clearly guarding Tony, which would suggest that he was an ally, not an enemy, meaning that the last thing they needed to do was start a fight. Not to mention, Tony was supposed to have been with the dwarves, and whatever was going on, Loki didn't want to upset the balance by attacking a dwarf inside of Tony's home. There was no telling if that would break whatever kind of treaty Tony might've managed to set up. Though... the way he was looking didn't bode well for any sort of alliance plans.

All of that went through Loki's mind in a split second. He'd always been the type to try and think ahead - to consider all potential ramifications of a situation. Sometimes his own emotions got in the way, but usually, he was the one to keep a cooler head to balance out Thor's usual hotheadedness.

Tony still had a small amount of clarity in his eyes as he rolled his head to look at Loki. "Loki."

It was all he managed to get out before his eyes rolled up in his head and his body started to fall.

This time the dwarf didn't attempt to stop Loki as he shot forward. Both their hands were there to catch Tony and keep him from hitting the ground. When Loki shifted his hold, drawing Tony to him, the dwarf didn't hesitate to let him. His axe had vanished somewhere, and his gaze was a lot calmer when he looked up at Loki's face. "Prince Loki?"

Hearing that title turned towards him was enough to have Loki straightening his spine ever so slightly. "Aye."

As if that confirmed things, the dwarf nodded, and his stance relaxed even more. Like he found Loki _safe_ for some reason. "We need to get Master Tony to your healers."

"Dr. Banner is waiting for you down in the medical bay," JARVIS spoke up, breaking through the strange tension that had filled Loki's bones as he'd stared down at the dwarf below him. His voice reminded Loki of what was important here - the bleeding man in his arms.

In the blink of an eye, they all vanished, reappearing in the medical bay where Loki wasn't surprised to find the rest of the team had gathered. Bruce was standing near a hospital bed, which Loki immediately moved to put Tony down on, while Natasha and Steve were standing nearby, clearly on guard. Clint went to those two to explain what was going on while Bruce reached out to help Loki gently lay Tony down. "What happened?" The doctor demanded.

It wasn't Loki who answered - it was the dwarf. "After we left Niðavellir, Master Tony wanted to stop in a few places and gather some information. A few people we came across didn't like him asking questions. He would've been fine, but they had a few mage-weapons with 'em, an he didn't want to just go killing people."

 _Mage-weapons_. Hearing that had Loki cursing lowly. That wasn't good. For a dwarf, a mage-weapon wasn't a weapon of magic made _by_ a mage - to them, all weapons carried magic, that was just how they were made - it was a weapon made to use _against_ a mage. If someone had used something like that against Tony, it was no wonder why he was still so injured. His seidr would've been damaged just as much as his physical body.

"Step back," Loki said firmly. This was going to take more than just mortal magic to heal. Tony's seidr was going to need a boost; something to help spark its own healing.

Bruce furrowed his brow, leveling a look at Loki that held none of the doctor's usual fear or insecurity. It was confident instead; a man sure of what he was doing. "Loki, what's going on?" His eyes flicked over to the dwarf and then back to Loki. "None of us speak whatever language that was, and we don't have the Allspeak like you do. I need someone to explain to me in English what's going on."

It was a sign of how flustered Loki truly was that he hadn't even thought about the fact that no one would be able to understand the dwarf. However, right now Loki just didn't have the time to try and explain things. He was already gathering up his seidr to reach out to Tony with.

Thank the Norns for this friend of Tony's. He stepped around Loki and towards the foot of the bed, calling the good doctor's attention, and then he spoke again in English. "Sorry 'bout that. I forgot about switching over to English. I've studied it, see, but I'm not the best at it. My name's Fizik, by the way. Fizik of the Runerok Clan. Why don't we step on over here for a moment and I'll tell ya what's going on while the Prince here helps out his friend, yeah? This right now, it's a job for mages, an Master Tony's in the best hands now."

That was all the attention Loki gave to them. All that he could spare, really. He needed all of his focus to reach out to Tony's seidr just in case it decided to react defensively.

And yet... it didn't.

Loki had suspected, after the way they'd worked together during their battle against Amora, yet it was still stunning to reach out to Tony's seidr and have it _reach back_ almost instinctively. As if it were natural to trust Loki's touch. Countless others who had known Loki for a lifetime still shied away from him if he tried to heal them. Tony, however - Tony was unconscious, and he _still_ reached out to Loki as soon as he felt him close.

Their seidr joined together in the kind of healing meld that was so rare to achieve. One of complete balance. Linked like this, Loki was able to feed a little bit of seidr into Tony, a slow yet steady trickle to hopefully help to replenish what he could clearly see now was remarkably diminished. Most of the power Tony had left in him was clearly trying to heal the wounds to his body - one of which had Loki seething. A rather large stab wound to his abdomen on the left side.

Loki tried to add his seidr to it to help it heal, only to find it... repelled, somehow. He blinked his eyes in surprise and stared down at Tony, trying once more, and finding it once more repelled.

A closer look showed that... there was something there. Something... something at the edges of Tony's seidr. Like a faint hint of blue at the edge of that amber color that he'd come to associate with Tony's seidr. Blue that was a little too much like the Tesseract.

Or like the star in Tony's chest.

As soon as that thought hit, Loki shifted his gaze and his seidr, focusing on the thing that Clint had once told him was called an Arc Reactor. The glowing blue light in Tony's chest that was often so shielded, Loki even forgot it was there.

It wasn't shielded now. Loki created a small tendril of seidr and brushed it experimentally against the arc reactor, only to have it dissolve the instant that they touched. _Huh._ Something about this bright star embedded in Tony's body clearly protected him to an extent from magic being done on his person. That was worth thinking about at a later time.

For now, there were more important things to focus on. If Loki couldn't help Tony to heal his body, he could at least supply him with a steady stream of seidr to make sure that Tony would be able to repair himself, while also allowing the doctor in to treat him with human medicines.

Loki's eyes were glowing with power when he looked up at the people in the room once more. His focus was on Bruce, who stood with this Fizik at the foot of the bed. "Dr. Banner, I'm steadily feeding Anthony a supply of seidr to help him heal, but the star in his chest won't allow me to simply heal him myself. He needs your medical skills to help hold him over until his body recovers enough to heal itself."

One of the things that Loki was discovering he quite liked about Bruce Banner was that the man was capable of putting aside his own fears and worries and getting the job done. He was smart, loyal, and plainly cared for Tony, too. That combination of things was what had him moving quickly up to the other side of the bed opposite Loki and immediately taking charge. "We need to get him out of his clothes so I can start to assess the damage." His eyes snapped up to Loki. "I take it you need to keep your hands as they are?"

Loki nodded his head. He had his hands hovering over Tony, one of his stomach and one over his face. It was easier like this.

"Right." Bruce nodded back at him. "All right. Fizik, you're just as bloody and filthy as he is, I need you to step back and take a seat on that table there. We'll look at you next. Clint, Natasha, get over here and help me get Tony out of his clothes. Steve, gather up that tray over there with the bandages and wheel it close, then get me a rag and a basin of water so we can clean him up enough to find some of the damage underneath all this."

Everyone snapped to their jobs. Loki stayed where he was, a solid and unmovable statute that the others were forced to work around as they quickly cut Tony free of his clothes. Bruce was checking Tony's head, looking into his eyes at the moment, while Clint was working on Tony's lower half and Natasha on his upper. Loki just so happened to look down, absently checking on what they were doing and what was being revealed, when he caught sight of something that had him going completely still. "Freeze!"

The whole room went silent. Natasha froze with her hands over the belt at Tony's waist; her eyes were sharp as they lifted to look at Loki, the only part of herself that she allowed to move.

Loki didn't look back at her. His eyes were on Tony's belt. Or, more accurately, the things attached to that belt. The swords were the same ones that Tony had left here with. But those daggers...

"Do not touch it," Loki said lowly. He pulled back just enough from Tony to be able to reach out with a thin thread of seidr and unhook Tony's belt himself. Then he _very carefully_ drew the belt off and made absolutely sure to keep the weapons away from anyone as he floated it up into the air. The belt and its weapons were floated over to a nearby counter where Loki finally set them down. Once he did, he swept his eyes over the others, all of whom were still frozen. Only the dwarf seemed to understand. He, at least, knew what those weapons were. Loki tried to ignore the implications of that - and of Tony having these weapons at all - and instead focused on what was important right now. "No one touch those. They're enchanted weapons, and I don't possess the power to save you from what even the slightest cut would be able to do to you."

Only when he was confident that they'd leave them alone did Loki finally turn his focus back down to Tony.

He found himself staring down at the others face while their friends slowly stripped him and began to work to heal the wounds on his body. As he stared, countless questions filtered through Loki's mind. So many things about this man that just didn't make sense.

Why did their seidr connect so easily? Why did Loki find himself caring so damn much about someone he barely knew? Who exactly was Tony Stark and why was he banished? And how had he come to be in possession of a pair of daggers that Loki had only ever seen a drawing of, only ever heard whispered about in legends that Odin had forbidden be told?


	15. Chapter 15

Tony woke up in quite a bit of pain. Not anywhere near as much as he'd been the last time he'd been conscious, thank the Norns, but enough that he almost instantly hissed and found himself trying to draw away from it. The only thing that kept him in place was a swell of seidr inside of him and the touch of a familiar hand on his forehead. Both of those whispered _Peace_ to him.

There were other hands as well, something familiar about these too even if not near the familiarity brought on by Loki's touch. This touch was backed by a voice - one that made it clear just who it was. "Tony, if you can hear me, I need you to stay still, all right?" Bruce said. "You and your friend are back at the tower. You're safe. But I need you to hold still so I can finish bandaging your injuries.

A few slow, steady blinks brought Tony's eyes open without him being blinded by the light.

The hand on his forehead slid down enough to help shelter Tony's eyes from the light. He found himself tilting his gaze, following that hand up until he could see Loki's worried expression above him. Seeing that had Tony's lips twitching into a smile. Pain or exhaustion - he was going to blame one of the two - spurred Tony to speak before his brain could catch up enough to stop him. "Now that's a gorgeous sight to wake up to."

A razor-sharp smile cut across Loki's face. "Flattery will get you everywhere, _Anthony_."

There was no time for Tony to do more than flinch at the return flirting, his brain finally catching up with what he was doing. Bruce tightened the last part of the bandage around Tony's stomach, and the pain had him tilting his head back and slamming his eyes shut in an effort to keep from swearing. Loudly.

Loki's touch on his forehead turned into a soothing stroke. At the same time, the seidr that was bolstering Tony's grew just a little bit stronger. It was enough for Tony to draw some of it in and feel his body work to use it to begin to heal some of the worse injuries. It also gave him the strength to open his eyes again and to paste on a smile for the rest of the room. He took in all the Avengers with one sweep of his eyes - and Fizik, who was now standing at Bruce's side - and flashed them a smile. "Hey, guys. How's it going?"

"Tony," Steve spoke up before anyone else could. He pushed off the wall he was near and was making his way forward, Natasha and Clint coming up behind him. "What happened to you?" His gaze slid over briefly to Fizik and then back to Tony. "Did they...?"

It was clear exactly what Steve was asking. Tony quickly shook his head no. "No, no, Steve. No." With arms that trembled a little too much, and more pain than he was willing to admit to, Tony tried to press on the flat bed enough to lift himself up so that he wouldn't be laying here while talking.

Bruce and Loki both hurried to stop him. Loki's hand pressed on Tony's head, and his other pressed over his chest, right under the arc reactor, while Bruce grabbed Tony's shoulder. "Don't try and sit up," Bruce said quickly. He kept his hand on Tony's shoulder. "You're already healing, it looks like, but the wound to your abdomen was pretty serious. You repaired the worst of it, but the rest still needs time to heal. That means you need to be _still._ " With his other hand, Bruce reached out and hit the controls that slowly leveraged Tony's bed into an upright position that would allow Tony to rest while still being able to look at his friends.

Once Tony was upright, Bruce let go of his shoulder after a brief squeeze, but Loki slid his hand from Tony's forehead to his shoulder in a move that made it clear he wasn't letting go anytime soon. Though, now that Tony was awake, he _did_ draw his seidr back.

Tony lifted a hand and patted absently at the hand on his shoulder, offering Loki a quick smile, and then his focus was back on the room around him. "The dwarves didn't do this to me. Everything with them went great. We can count on them as our allies, and I even got a few trade contracts hammered out. No, I got these because I pissed a few people off by asking too many questions, and they just happened to have weapons built to take out mages."

"What possessed you to go around asking questions?" Loki asked him. Boy howdy, he looked _pissed_.

"I learned a few things while on Niðavellir. Like the fact that the Bifrost is broken," Those words Tony directed at Loki, a bit accusatory. The flash of pain he saw there in response was unexpected. Loki's eyes tightened, and his lips pressed together in what, to Tony, was a transparent attempt to hide just how badly Tony's words hurt. That brought up a thousand more questions that Tony knew he wasn't going to get the answers to. Not now, not in front of others. Maybe not ever.

He filed it away for later, though, and instead focused back on what he could deal with right now.

"Without Asgard to back up the other realms, people are getting restless. Rock Trolls are trying to take over on Niðavellir. When I saw that, I needed to know just how bad it was everywhere else because if the other realms have their own wars going on, that's going to drastically change how we approach them."

Steve was the one to nod his head at that, like that made sense to him. "We can't go asking others for help when they're too busy defending themselves."

This was one of those moments that reminded Tony just how young and innocent Steve actually was. For all that he'd been to war, and seen his fair share of horrors, he'd been a soldier on the ground. One who went where he was told - or not told, in an instance or two - and did what he was told to do. Steve hadn't ever had to be the one in charge of all of it. He hadn't had to make the decisions that were for the greater good of everyone, not just for the good of a few. To Steve, this was a matter of either helping these realms or leaving them alone and not involving them in this kind of trouble. That was all the information mattered to him.

The rest of the room didn't see it quite the same. Not even Bruce, who could come off as quite innocent at times. The look that he gave Steve was almost fatherly; that parental look of 'oh, kid' an adult can get when a kid says something particularly innocent and sad. Natasha was stone-faced, while Clint just watched Tony, clearly waiting for more.

Loki was the one to understand it best of all. He'd been the type to make these kinds of decisions before; just as he'd dealt with someone like Steve, who didn't see these finer details.

It was also Loki who took it upon himself to do the one thing the rest of them couldn't do and disillusion their good Captain. "Not quite, Captain. If the other realms are under siege, it makes our position a lot more stable. We can come in with offers of aid and resources, supporting them until Asgard is able to arrive. It would bind the realms to us and make them more open and amenable to anything that earth might ask of them in the future."

Doing it that way was a quite a long con, though. It was more likely to work because the other realms would be more invested in the earth. But Tony was thinking of a slightly different approach.

Ignoring the wide-eyed look that Steve was wearing, Tony turned towards Loki. "I'm not sure if we've got time for that long a game, Rudolph. Our best bet is probably gonna be going in and offering a trade. We help them if they agree to help us."

"If they accept, the Avengers would have to travel to assist," Loki pointed out.

From his spot beside Bruce, Fizik leaned forward and chimed in with, "The Runerok Clan would stand behind you, Master Tony. As family, your bond is our bond. Wherever you pledge yourself, we'll be there to help."

It took everything Tony had not to wince. Fizik had spoken in English which meant that the whole room knew exactly what he'd said. But only one person in here understood the significance of those words, and it was the one person Tony had _really_ wanted to put off having to tell. Tony kept his body still as he slowly, nervously slanted a look up at Loki. What he found had him finally giving in to the urge to wince.

Loki's face was a cold, furious mask, and his eyes were sharp as they glared at Fizik. " _What did you say?_ "

"Loki," Tony said slowly. He reached a hand out, nudging both Bruce and Fizik back, and he focused on his brother.

Furious green eyes snapped to Tony. "Tell me you did not."

A sheepish grin spread across Tony's lips. He lifted his hands, palms up, and gave a half-shrug. "Would it help if I said it was the only way?"

The stream of angry curses that Loki let out was, thankfully, in a language none of the others in the room knew.

As the mage paced away from the bed, temper rolling off of him in palpable waves, Natasha pinned Tony with a simple look. "What did you do?"

"Secured us some allies," Tony answered promptly. When her glare didn't lessen, he let himself sink under it. He brought one hand up to rub the back of his neck. "Look, you've gotta understand... it was a delicate situation. Despite the fact that a few dwarves knew me, the King and Council weren't just going to take my word on things. They had to weigh the future of their people against the promise that one elf, who was hiding out on Earth, was going to think of them as more than just cannon fodder in this war. They've been used like that in the past. It's made them understandably cautious."

Fizik nodded his agreement. He was leaning against the bed next to Tony's now, arms crossed over his chest and a grin on his face, though Tony could see the serious look in his eyes as they looked over to Loki, who was coming back towards them now, and then back to the group around them. "It wouldn't be the first time someone allied with our race just to get our weapons and then used us without any care if we survived."

There was a lot that might come up with that, and Tony knew that Loki at least understood the wars that Fizik was referring to, so Tony hurried to continue on. "If I wanted them to trust that I meant the best for them, I had to prove that I cared about the dwarves as a people, not just as pieces on a chessboard. So, I invoked _Lorak-ha._ " Tony didn't give them a chance to ask the questions he knew were coming. " _Lorak-ha_ is a ritual used to prove someone's strength and their worth. You do it, and you become almost an honorary dwarf. I did it, an I was accepted into the Runerok Clan. That made the Council and King a whole lot more open to what I had to say."

"It was a foolish risk!" Loki snapped at him. "Did you even have any idea of what it was you would face? No texts out there list what exactly _Lorak-ha_ entails."

The memories of what he'd faced on the other side of that glowing door darkened Tony's eyes for one moment. His tone lost that slightly playful edge that was usually there and became more serious. "I survived." Two words, packed full of emotion he couldn't put a name to. They were enough to silence Loki's rant. When Tony looked up, he found that Loki was watching him more cautiously now, obviously reading into it. Tony met his stare without flinching. "I survived, and that's what matters. We've got the dwarves as our allies now."

When Tony brought his eyes back to the others, that brief it of darkness was gone, almost as if it'd never existed at all. Memories were shoved down deep where Tony knew they'd lurk until sleep made his defenses weak. For now, he pushed them down there and focused on what was right in front of him.

"The other realms seem to be doing all right. Vanaheim is going to need some help if they don't get things under control soon, but it's kind of hit or miss either way." He braced one hand against the bed and curled his other around his waist, wincing a little as he shifted on the bed, trying to find a better way to sit. "JARVIS, make a note of that for me, would you. I need to take a look at this later."

"Once you've rested," Bruce interjected. He was reaching out to Tony and helping him settle once more, fixing the blanket around him and basically making sure that Tony didn't try and sit up too much. "Your body needs rest to heal."

Loki, arms crossed over his chest, had his head tilted and a curious look on his face. "I attempted to heal you, but the star you carry prevented me from offering much aid. If you remove it, I know enough of healing spells to be able to at least hasten your recovery time."

Just the mention of removing the arc reactor was enough to make Tony cringe. He brought his hand up from his stomach to rest on top the arc reactor protectively. "Yeah, no, not happening, buddy."

"With your healing factor, do you even need that?" Natasha said, voicing the one question that Tony had hoped no one would, and proving once and for all that SHIELD knew far more about the arc reactor than Tony was comfortable with. "Or is it something else? A protection charm? Something to keep you safe from foreign magic?"

Clint hissed out a low " _Natasha!_ " and elbowed her.

It wasn't enough to take back her words, though. Nor was it enough to keep everyone from staring at him.

Tony had known that this was likely going to come up once the others realized just how quickly he healed. However, he'd hoped to put this off. Not just because this wasn't something that he liked to talk about, but because it wasn't something he wanted SHIELD knowing. A look around told him that they weren't going to let this go easily, though. Not even Bruce. There was a curious look in his eyes that said that he wasn't going to push this, but if being quiet meant he'd get answers, then he'd listen.

 _You knew this was coming,_ Tony reminded himself, closing his eyes. _You knew it. Just, suck it up and deal with it._

It took a long minute before Tony was able to find his voice. "No. It's pretty damn real. There's a line even I won't cross for protective magics." Absently rubbing at the reactor, Tony opened his eyes and looked down at the circle of light glowing there under his shirt. A shirt that, thankfully, hadn't been cut off with most the rest of his clothes. Tony's lips quirked in a pained version of his usual smirk. "Knocking out a few ribs and moving some organs around just to insert this thing in here is a ways over that line."

He heard a few surprised breaths and a pained sound from someone, he thought it might be Bruce.

"They... they knocked out some of your _ribs_?" Clint repeated incredulously.

Tony drew in a shaky breath. He lifted his eyes, though he couldn't quite bring himself to look at anyone while he said this. His eyes focused on the wall across the room. It was easier that way. "Had to make room for it somehow. The original was a bit bigger, but I managed to downsize things a bit."

He wasn't that surprised when Loki was the one to speak next. "What does it do?"

Hadn't Loki learned that while he had Clint under his thrall? _Oh well. Easier to explain from the beginning, anyway._ Tony dropped his hands to his lap and curled them around one another. There, he held on tight, and he shared yet another example of the betrayals life never seemed to stop sending his way.

"So, I don't know how much of my story you've found out by now," Tony said, sneaking a glance at Loki. He didn't give himself time to read much on the other mage's face. Before he could, Tony was looking back at the wall again. His heart felt like it was pounding hard against the reactor.

"He knows what SHIELD knows," Clint answered for him. There was only a hint of regret in his voice as he hesitantly added on, "I gave him everything we had on, well, everyone."

The regret there was something Tony would have to talk with Clint about later. They couldn't have him beating himself up over it.

For now, Tony made himself keep going, talking about one of the things in life he really didn't like to remember. "Yeah, well, a quick recap for those here that don't know the SHIELD story. I was in Afghanistan doing a weapons demonstration when my convoy was attacked. A bomb went off in front of me and almost killed me. When I woke up, I was in a cave with an electromagnet in my chest, strapped to a car battery. There were little shards of the bomb that were trying to work their way to my heart, and that was the only thing stopping it. The guy there, he saved my life." In so many different ways. Yinsen had done so much for him.

Tony felt a tremor run through his hands, and he carefully pressed them flat against his lap to still them. He wasn't going to shake his way through this like some kid. He'd been through worse things. Granted, this one sucked, but he'd survived so much worse. This wasn't going to be the one he broke down over.

"I couldn't figure out at first why I had the stupid thing in, or why there was any shrapnel left inside of me at all. My healing factor should've helped push them back out, or at least keep me going while Yinsen dug around in there. It wasn't until later, once I got back home, that I found out." Here, Tony had to pause. He had to. Just because what came next was another betrayal in a long list of them didn't mean that it hurt any less. Closing his eyes, Tony forced his tone even and flat, not letting any of that hurt seep in. "Obie - Obadiah Stane, the guy who raised me after my Earth parents died, he was the one to arrange to have me killed. What I didn't realize until even later, right at the end, was that he'd figured out at some point that I had magic. Not that I wasn't human - just that I had magic. So the bombs he gave the Ten Rings to take me out were spelled. It's why the shrapnel is still in there, and why I can't just magic it out myself. He geared those spells towards _me_. The reactor sort of nullifies whatever was done to them, but if I try and touch them with my magic to take them out, they start moving again."

"Jesus, Tony," Bruce breathed out.

Loki made a low, pained sound. A surprisingly open one for someone who usually hid what he felt. "You need a healer."

Tony huffed softly. "Yeah, pretty much. And seeing as how the best healers for delicate work like this are on Alfheim..." He let his sentence trail off. They all knew what he meant. They all assumed that Tony was banished from Alfheim; he knew that and encouraged that idea. But honestly, he just didn't want to risk going there, especially not for a procedure that would practically guarantee the person would recognize him. For something as intimate as healing like this would be, there wouldn't be any way for him to hide who Tony really was. And now that he knew that the rest of the realms likely still remembered him... the risk was too great.

Closing his eyes, Tony tried to push those memories away, to lock them back up where they belonged.

He was so focused on that, he didn't hear as the others filed out of the room. The fact that they were gone didn't really register to Tony until he opened his eyes once more and found that the room was almost completely empty. The only two people that remained were Loki, who stood by his bedside still, and Fizik, who seemed to have taken up post just outside the door.

"The others have gone to find their rest," Loki told him when he saw Tony's confused look. "And you should do the same."

Yeah. As little as Tony liked to admit it, rest was really what he needed at the moment. It was the only way he was going to get better.

With that in mind, he once more pressed his hands to the bed to try and lift himself up, and once more found himself being pushed back down. "What in the Nine Realms do you think you're doing?" Loki demanded.

"Going to my room so I can sleep in my own bed."

Loki scoffed at him. "Don't be ridiculous. Even with your accelerated healing, this will take time. You need to remain here."

"I can't." Tony was shaking his head even as he said it. No, no way, he was _not_ staying down here!

The look Loki gave him was firm. "You can."

"No, I can't," Tony snapped. He let out a gusty sigh and tried his best to glare at his brother, though he knew it probably fell short of the mark. "I don't sleep in hospitals, all right? You keep me here, and I guarantee you I'm going to spend half the night tossing and turning." There was no way in hell he was going to be able to sleep while injured like this. Not in a hospital room. Not even one that was in his tower. He needed the safety of his room; his own bed. He needed JARVIS and his wards around him to keep him protected.

Loki stared at him for a long moment. Then, to Tony's complete surprise, he waved a hand, and a chair appeared at Tony's bedside. Loki sank down into it without saying a word.

"What're you doing?"

The look Loki gave him clearly asked 'what does it look like?' He settled in comfortably, one leg crossing over the other. "If you cannot be trusted to stay here, I suppose I will have to keep watch to ensure that you do." A book appeared in his hands. Loki casually opened it to some pre-marked spot and then clearly relaxed, eyes already on the page.

Was he... was he serious? Tony sat there and stared, open-mouthed, as Loki sat there and read his book like there wasn't a thing wrong. Like this was just an ordinary, every-day occurrence. There was no doubt in Tony's mind that the man meant what he said. He was going to stay there in that chair to make sure that Tony didn't leave. More than that, though, he was offering Tony the only thing that would really guarantee that Tony would stay here.

Physical safety. Protection.

There was only so much JARVIS could do to protect Tony, even in the Tower like this. Having Loki there at his bedside meant that _no one_ would be able to mess with Tony. No one at all.

That knowledge was enough to have some of Tony's tension fading away. Almost against his will, he found himself relaxing down into the bed. He laid there, watching as Loki read page after page, never once looking up at him and yet still managing to leave Tony with the impression that, should he need it, Tony would have the other's full attention.

Secure in the knowledge that he was safe, Tony was free to give in to the demands of his body, and he slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

The first thing Tony became aware of even before he opened his eyes was the feeling of magic around him. Familiar magic. It registered in him while Tony's mind was still mostly asleep, and he reacted to it as he once would have. A small, tired smile curled over Tony's lips, and he drawled out a sleepy, "How many times do I have to tell you - watching someone while they sleep is creepy, little adder."

There was a moment of quiet, and then Loki's low voice, with just a hint of amusement, "Do you often have people staring at you while you rest, Stark?"

The voice was right, but the tone was all wrong. It was the 'Stark' that really snapped him back to it, though. Tony's brain kicked into gear, and his eyes snapped open. _Tower, Earth, med room, Loki_. That was right. He was in the medical bay in the Tower to heal from getting jumped by a group of assholes. As if to really help remind him of that part of things, Tony's stomach gave a throb in protest at the way he'd tensed, and he let out a low groan at the same time as sliding a hand to cover the bandages.

Loki's hand was there in an instant, catching Tony's wrist and gentling his touch. "Easy." Any amusement was gone from Loki's voice. When Tony rolled his head, he found Loki watching him with eyes gone dark with concern. Loki caught Tony looking at him and brought his own eyes up. "You've healed quite well, but this wound is proving stubborn. It's healing quite a bit slower than the rest."

"It's healing though, right?" Tony couldn't help but ask.

He was relieved when Loki didn't hesitate to reassure him. "Yes. Most of the deeper, internal damage has repaired itself. What's left is muscle and tissue damage."

"Based off of your current rate of healing, sir, you should be back to normal by tomorrow evening at the latest," JARVIS interjected.

The sound of JARVIS's voice brought a smile to Tony's lips. It also relaxed him enough that he let Loki move his hand to rest at a less damaged part of his stomach. Tony lay back and let his eyes close briefly. "Hey there, kiddo. Let me tell you, am I glad to hear your voice."

"And I yours, sir," JARVIS said. "Your presence has been sorely missed. Dum-E, U, and Butterfingers will be more than thrilled to have you back in your workshop."

One corner of Tony's mouth quirked up. "Just them?"

There was a slight huff that Tony knew JARVIS would deny ever being able to make, and then a dry "I'm quite sure Ms. Potts will be pleased to see you as well, sir," that made Tony want to grin and wince all at the same time. JARVIS wasn't happy with him; that much was clear. Not that he could really blame him. It'd been a long time since JARVIS was just a simple computer program. He had his own thoughts and feelings now, and those feelings generally tended towards the protective side of things where Tony was concerned. He hated when Tony went out and did things that got him hurt. Especially when he did it without the suit, which JARVIS could at least use to watch over him.

"I'll be all right, kiddo," Tony tried to reassure him. "Like you said, by tomorrow night I'll be right as rain." All in all, he'd really ended up okay. If this was all he had to deal with, it wasn't that bad. Having Fizik there had definitely helped even the odds for Tony.

Fizik...

Tony's eyes shot open once more, and he gave the room a quick scan before his gaze settled on Loki's face. "Where's Fizik?" The last time Tony had been awake, he remembered Fizik setting up guard by the door. Was he okay? How were the others treating him? Had he let anything slip about Tony?

"Your friend is fine," Loki reassured him. He leaned in so that one hip was hitched up onto the edge of Tony's bed, bringing him in close enough that Tony could feel his warmth even through the blankets. Loki had always run strangely cool and hot at alternating times. Tony knew now it was his Jotun physiology changing his internal body temperature to adjust for the temperature of the atmosphere around him.

"Where is he?"

"He went with Dr. Banner to fetch you breakfast. It took a bit of convincing to get him to agree to leave your side. He's quite loyal." Loki turned himself so that he was better facing Tony's side while he spoke. It allowed him better access to be able to lift the edge of Tony's blanket and reach down to the bandage underneath. His movements were easy and familiar as he checked Tony's wound. "I believe that is what endeared your good doctor to him. The others are unsure about him, and about the fact that he calls you _Master Tony_. But they are withholding judgment until you are more awake."

Oh, joy. Tony laid his head back on his pillow and groaned. "I'm suddenly very, very tired. In fact, I'm not awake at all."

"Oh no." There was a dark sort of glee in Loki's voice that had Tony cracking one eye open to look over at him. He found Loki smirking at him while straightening back up. "JARVIS, alert the others that Anthony is awake and shall be taking breakfast here shortly."

Tony looked at his brother with wide, betrayed eyes. "Why? Why would you do that to me, Lokes? I thought we were buddies! Pals!"

The smirk Loki wore only grew. He reached out and took hold of Tony's blanket, pulling it up and smoothing it over his waist. "Consider this your punishment for needlessly endangering yourself without even thinking to come and grab backup."

Well, that was... Tony sat there, speechless.

He didn't get a chance to figure anything out. As he was gaping like an idiot, JARVIS interrupted them. "My apologies, sir, but Director Fury is here."

Tony couldn't hold back his groan. _Oh, fan-fucking-tastic. This is exactly what I needed not even five minutes after waking up_. The idea of going to deal with the Director really wasn't on his list of things that sounded like a good time. "Stall him for me, buddy."

"Of course."

This wasn't something that Tony was going to be able to deal with from bed. If Nick had called, that'd be one thing. But the bastard had just shown up instead. That meant there was no way Tony was going to get the day of rest it was clear his body needed. No, he was actually going to have to _get up_.

Tony was more than a little grateful it was Loki down here with him right now and not Bruce. If it'd been Bruce, he would've done everything possible to keep Tony in bed. But Loki knew better. Tony didn't have to explain to him the kind of power struggle that existed between Tony and Nick. He understood it all already, which meant that he realized what Tony was doing when the engineer braced on the bed and started to sit up. Instead of trying to stop him, Loki moved to help, slipping one arm behind Tony to take some of his weight, so it was easier for him to sit up.

With the blankets out of the way, Tony swung his legs towards the ground, wincing at the pull to his stomach. Other aches were still present, but they were just the aches that came from exhausted and overworked magic. They'd heal soon enough. It was the low energy and the wound in his stomach that were going to be a serious problem. Being back in the tower overnight had given Tony's other injuries plenty of time to heal, and for his magic to start to replenish, but for now, he felt drained. Weak.

It was a bit mortifying to have to lean so heavily on Loki. Standing was proving to be a bit more difficult than Tony had anticipated, though. His legs didn't have much strength to himself. "You need to eat," Loki murmured, carefully supporting Tony against him. He waved one hand over Tony, clothing him in low resting breeches and a loose tunic; standard clothes for the Asgardian Healing Rooms. "Your seidr will replenish faster with nourishment, and your body will heal faster as well."

Tony took a moment to steady his legs. He didn't really have much choice but to rest himself against Loki's lean body and take a breath while he waited for the random dizziness to pass, too. "Food sounds good."

Really, Tony should have anticipated Loki's response. He knew him well enough. But Tony was still focusing too much on staying upright that he missed the signs until it was too late. One moment they were standing in the medical wing - the next, they were on the communal floor, right at the edge of the kitchen.

When Tony looked up, his lips twitched a little at seeing the surprised look on Steve's face, and the way he was holding his plate that clearly said he'd almost dropped it. Natasha and Clint were already at the table, and Bruce and Fizik were in the kitchen preparing a plate Tony was pretty sure was for him. Two people weren't required to make a plate for anyone else. Likely they were arguing about what should go on it. The fact that Bruce was dealing so casually and easily with Fizik, and that none of the others seemed to feel the need to keep hold of their weapons around him, eased just a tiny bit of the worry in Tony's chest.

A slow grin was building on Clint's lips as he took in the way that Tony was still heavily leaning on Loki. "Look who's up and about, so to speak," Clint teased.

There wasn't much time for Tony to do more than scowl at him. Fizik turned a huge, beaming smile his way, making him look so fucking _young_ again, and he loudly cried out, "Master Tony!" before Tony could come up with any smart remark to fling at Clint. Immediately following that cry, Fizik turned completely and pressed his left fist thumb first against his heart as he bowed.

The others looked flabbergasted by that little display. Tony managed to pull himself away from Loki just enough to bring his own fist up to his heart and bow as well. It hurt like hell, but it had to be done. It was a formality in front of company that respected their stations - Tony as Master and Fizik as his new student. Once Fizik realized that these people were friends and family in a way, he'd be able to lose that formality. But in front of those he wasn't even properly introduced to, he'd stick to the most respectful of ways.

Discreetly, Loki kept a hand around Tony's waist, which was good because Tony might've slid forward otherwise. As he straightened back up, he shot Loki a grateful glance and was rewarded with a small smile.

"Be at peace, Fizik," Tony said, low and formal, yet seeking to reassure at the same time. "You're family, and this is my home. No need for formalities here."

Fizik looked serious; a startling expression on his usually smiling face. "I wouldn't shame you in front of others, Master Tony."

"You're nothing I need be ashamed of, Fizzy. I promise you that," Tony said, smiling.

Everyone but Loki was looking back and forth between the two with clear confusion. Speaking in Allspeak meant that everyone in the room understood Tony - his words always came out in the language that those listening would understand. Allspeak was a universal language. It was a language of _meaning_ , not words, and so no matter what language was spoken, everyone understood. But Fizik was speaking in his native tongue, and none of the humans in the room understood it.

There was no time for anyone to comment, though. "Sir, your guests are growing impatient. Should I let them up?" JARVIS asked.

Ugh. Great. Tony had almost forgotten about his unwanted guests. "Yeah, buddy, send 'em on up." Tony leaned back into Loki a little and, though he hated it, murmured "Help me get to that chair over there, would you? Somehow I doubt I'd be able to do this meeting on my feet."

He didn't have to explain to Loki what he wanted to do here. Loki clearly understood right away. Thank the Norns for having someone just as manipulative as he was. Loki helped Tony move over to the large chair in the living room and called out orders as he went. "Young Fizik, gather your master's food and coffee and bring them over here. He shan't be eating at the table today. Agent Romanoff, little Hawk, come join us. The couch, if you please. Dr. Banner, if you wouldn't mind, would you prepare a fresh pot of coffee for the room? Captain Rogers can assist you."

The fact that Bruce was the only one that was really asked had Tony's lips curving again. The rest of those had clearly been orders. Ones that were obeyed, too. Fizik was no real surprise. He was following rules of formality despite Tony's words. That meant that as student and guest here - with the added fact of their newfound family ties and Tony's rank both as a Master Smith and Master Mage, but as far older than him - convincing Fizik to relax was going to take work. For now, it was easier to just let him do what was comfortable. It also worked out to their benefit.

Loki was setting a scene with practiced ease. By the time Nick arrived - with Phil right behind him - Tony was seated in a wingback chair that hadn't been here before Tony had left for his trip, with a plate of food in his lap. Clint and Natasha were on either end of the couch with their own food and a relaxed air that made it clear they understood the image they were playing, and Steve was in the process of bringing his own food over. Bruce had coffee on, and Fizik was calmly waiting by the pot to bring the first cup to Tony.

For his part, Loki was standing at the back left side of Tony's chair; one arm was up to rest on the back of it, his entire pose casual and comfortable.

"Pirate Pete!" Tony's grin was bright and cheerful without any signs of his exhaustion. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

Nick didn't return his smile. He stopped at the edge of the living space and crossed his arms over his chest while leveling a glare at Tony. He completely ignored everyone else in the room. "I hear you went on a trip and brought home a new guest."

Yeah, that's what Tony had figured. No real surprise there. Still, Tony smirked and drawled out, _"Oooh,_ someone's been sharing secrets."

He let his eyes slant to the Assassin Twins and was surprised to see on their faces that it was clear neither one of them had done this. They were giving each other their own looks that was silently asking 'Did you?'. No, it wasn't them that held Tony's stare. It was the slight flush on Steve's cheeks that caught Tony. " _Ah_." Should've figured that one.

Tony caught Steve's eye and smiled at him. "It's all right, Cap. No harm, no foul." It was just something Tony would keep in mind in the future. Until he was sure that Steve was more loyal to them than SHIELD, he'd be careful what kind of information the man was exposed to. It was kind of easy to forget that Steve truly was a military man in all the ways that counted. Reporting to those he considered his superiors was natural to him. That was just how chain-of-command worked. Tony was going to have to put in some effort to get that chain-of-command to switch around in Steve's mind so that Nick wasn't anywhere on there.

"I didn't think he'd come bursting into your home because of it," Steve said, pausing to shoot a glare Nick's way. Hmm. Maybe it wouldn't be _too_ hard to shift Steve's loyalties.

The soft sound of footsteps warned Tony that Fizik was coming his way. He looked up as the dwarf brought a cup of coffee over to the side of the chair that Loki wasn't on and presented it to him. Tony took it with a grateful smile.

He cradled the cup between his hands and brought his gaze back to Nick. It was no surprise that Nick was staring at Fizik now. Tony put on his best smile. Then he very deliberately tilted his head to Fizik, though he didn't look away from Nick. "Fizik, I'd like you to meet Nick Fury, the leader of an intelligence group called SHIELD. They like to pretend they know everything. Nick, meet my brother and new student, Fizik of the Runerok Clan. He's with me to study and as a sign of good faith towards the alliance with the dwarves of Niðavellir."

That perked Nick up, just like Tony knew it would. It also neatly distracted Nick from being upset about Fizik's presence in general and narrowed his focus to something else. "Alliance? Earth hasn't agreed to anything."

"No," Tony said agreeably. "They haven't. _I_ have. Seeing as how their alliance is with me, your opinions didn't really factor into anything."

Nick was living up to his name at that moment; he looked _furious_. But it was Phil who stood at Nick's side and asked, "Since when do you speak for the planet, Stark?"

"I'm not speaking for the planet, Agent. I'm speaking for myself. The promises I made to the dwarves were made by _me_ , and the promises I gained from them were to _me_. It has absolutely no bearing yet on SHIELD or the Earth." Tony ignored the pain and leaned back in his seat, mug in front of his face, and he smirked. This hadn't been in his plans yet, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to enjoy it while it happened. "Our contract specifically states my allies are my own business. I wasn't just referring to the Avengers when I put that clause in there, Nicky boy. Any off-world allies I make are my business and my responsibility. They're also untouchable for you and your little agency."

The way Nick was glaring made it clear he got just how badly he'd been played here.

It took a lot for Tony not to laugh. He hid it behind his cup and took a small sip of the warm liquid. "Read your contracts better next time, Fury."

"You sure you wanna do this, Stark?" Nick asked. "Openly pit yourself against SHIELD?"

Tony held up one hand in a gesture of peace. "I'm not pitting myself against anyone. I'm simply looking after what I swore to protect." A hard look abruptly entered Tony's eyes. He leaned forward, mug coming down to rest on his knee, and any sign of a smile wiped off his face. "Show me I've got a reason to trust you, Fury. Show me you're not going to screw me over the first chance you get. You do that, _then_ we'll talk about what my allies and I can do for you. Until then - get out of my tower."

The whole room was quiet as the two men faced off against one another. Nick didn't back down from the look on Tony's face, and Tony held his ground.

Eventually, Nick shook his head. "You're going to regret this, Stark."

"Not near as much as you if you push this," Tony shot back. He let what little seidr he had fill up inside him until it made his eyes glow. "Remember who it is you're dealing with here. Even without my powers, I'm not an enemy you want, Fury. There's a reason you never pushed before, and we both know it."

There was a charged silence as the two stared at each other for a moment longer. Then, without a word, Nick spun and marched away, Phil on his heels.

Tony waited until the elevator doors were shut before he let himself slump a little in his seat. His eyes drifted closed, and one hand dropped down to cover his stomach. "J, pass along a message to Pepper and let her know what happened here. I wouldn't put it past SHIELD to try to play their games. I want her and the legal team ready for it."

"Right away, sir."

A gentle hand settled on the top of Tony's head. He didn't bother opening his eyes; he knew who the touch belonged to. The feel of Loki's hand was calming. It let Tony relax enough to sigh away some of his tension and let his masks slip a little more. If he'd been tired before, he was exhausted now. Not even the food on his plate sounded appealing anymore despite how hungry his body was. All Tony wanted was to be up in his room where he could relax and sleep in peace. There was just... there was too much to do. Too many things that needed to be taken care of.

The hand on Tony's head moved to stroke soothingly through his hair. At the same time, Tony swore he felt it as Loki drew himself up straighter, as he stood tall next to Tony's chair and wrapped himself in the air of command that all the Odinsons had been taught. When he spoke, his voice was firm and steady, the sound of someone who very much knew they were in charge. It was a sound that people could easily follow.

"It has been an extremely trying morning, after already recent stressful events. I propose we take today to relax and recover as we prepare for what this might bring us." He paused his petting of Tony's hair to cup the back of his head. "I'm going to take Anthony upstairs. Dr. Banner, if you wouldn't mind coming with us to check on his wounds? After that, I believe we should gather down here once more and discuss where we all feel our next step should be. Breaking from SHIELD this way is, I believe, quite an undertaking, and one that none of you should take lightly."

"I should stay for this," Tony murmured.

Loki pressed a little against Tony's head. "You should rest. Fizik, grab your master's food and follow us."

The plate of food and coffee were taken from Tony, and then, before Tony could protest, he found himself being carefully swept up into arms that his body was programmed right down to his core to trust.

Only briefly did Tony contemplate fighting against this. Then he just let himself slump down into Loki's hold. His head came to rest on the other's shoulder, and he let the rest of him go limp. It earned him an approving murmur.

There was no doubt in Tony's mind that he could trust Loki to handle things while Tony slept. Sure, Tony would have to check things over later, maybe watch the video of their talk - he knew JARVIS would record it for him - but he didn't have to worry about Loki screwing him over just because he wasn't there. The worst that his little brother would do would likely be to start to encourage the others towards him, to try and cement their support on _his_ side instead of SHIELD's. This was too perfect an opportunity for Loki _not_ to take advantage of. Manipulation was one of his more prominent skills, and it was likely he'd employ that.

That was fine. Tony could handle it. Once he was more awake, that was. At the moment just keeping his eyes open was almost too much effort.

He sighed out a breath and turned his face in towards Loki's shoulder. There was no one around who knew the truth, and so there was no one to judge him if he just... let himself nuzzle in a little as he enjoyed the arms around him. "Keep an eye on Fizik for me?" he murmured lowly.

"Your student shall come to no harm while you rest," Loki promised him. "On my honor, no disrespect will be brought upon your home, not by me."

That was as strong a promise as Tony could get. He sighed out the last of his tension and just let the soothing feel of Loki's seidr curl around him and carry him away.


	16. Chapter 16

There's only so long that real life can be put off before it demands attention once more. Tony knew the next time that he woke up - lying on his back in his own beautiful, _glorious_ bed - that he wasn't going to be able to put things off anymore. There was too much that needed done to allow for him to just keep lying here in bed. A quick check of his internal clock told him that he'd likely been out quite a while. Asking JARVIS only confirmed that. "How long I been out, J?" Ugh. Definitely needed to go brush his teeth. His mouth tasted like something had died and taken up residence there.

JARVIS sounded just slightly relieved as he answered Tony's question. "Almost twenty hours, sir. Master Liesmith checked on you twice during that time and assured me that your body was healing as it should be. Your magical signature is almost back up to normal strength, and your wounds seem to be completely gone."

"Thank the Norns for that." The last thing Tony wanted was to waste too much more time. Resting like this wasn't a luxury he could afford to have. Especially not after the epic way he'd pissed off SHIELD. That was something that was going to come back and bite him in the ass, he knew, despite needing to be done. Nick didn't take well to orders or things like that. He wasn't going to be happy with Tony.

Sighing, Tony rubbed his hands over his face and across his eyes, breaking up the crusts that built from being asleep for so long. _Disgusting_. Unless aliens were pouring from the sky at this very moment to try and destroy the earth, a shower was next on the agenda. Dealing with the real world could wait until Tony felt less like a revolting science experiment gone wrong. With that in mind, Tony made himself throw back the blankets and push himself up to sit on the edge of the bed. "All right, buddy. Talk to me. Catch me up on what happened while I was sleeping." Tony smothered a yawn and rubbed his face again. "How's Fizik?"

As Tony finally got himself up and headed towards the bathroom, he listened to JARVIS walk him through everything that had happened while he was out.

"Young Fizik was assigned a room on the guest floor below yours. Master Liesmith took him there last night after they put you to bed and he reassured young Fizik that you were safe and protected. He allowed Master Liesmith to escort him to his room and left only for meals."

Tony couldn't help but grimace. He hadn't meant for the guy to feel like he had to do that. Norns above, he must've been bored out of his mind!

As if he somehow read that thought from Tony's mind, JARVIS said, "I provided him with plenty of reading material to occupy his time, as well as videos to watch."

Oh, well, that was at least a little better.

Tony paused in front of the mirror and took a moment to look himself over. He still looked like Tony Stark, thankfully. His illusion hadn't slipped while he was resting. There was color in his cheeks, too, and when Tony stripped himself down, he found not a mark in sight. Even his seidr felt mostly recovered. It could still use a bit of time to rebuild, but Tony could help that along.

He reached for his toothbrush and the bottle of toothpaste. It was going to take a lot of toothpaste to chase this taste out of his mouth. "What about the rest of 'em? How'd their little meeting go yesterday?"

"Better than we could've hoped for, sir," JARVIS said. "Master Liesmith spoke at length with the other Avengers about what kind of plans we might be able to expect for our future. Most all of them seem to line up with our own plans."

Leaning forward, Tony spit out the first mouthful in the sink. "Oh yeah?"

Instead of JARVIS answering outright, audio began to play in the bathroom, Loki's voice clearly echoing around him.

"It is Midgard we are protecting, yes, but what you need to realize is that Midgard isn't the only one with something at stake here. The other realms are at risk, especially if Midgard falls. Anthony and I are drawing in allies so that we may work as a team. SHIELD is simply another of those allies. They are by no means meant to lead this, nor were they ever intended to. Their very nature makes it almost impossible for them to do so. They are a group made to work in the shadows, not to lead in the light. For that, we need someone whose face all parties will recognize. Someone they all feel that they can listen to."

"Like Tony," Clint said, a hint of understanding in his tone.

Tony furrowed his brow a little in concentration as he absently continued to brush his teeth. His full focus was on the words around him.

"Correct," Loki said. "Who better? He is known on some realms, and can easily be made known on others. He's also a popular name on _this_ realm."

"He's a face people would know and trust. Not just as Iron Man, but as Tony Stark, too." Natasha said slowly.

There were a few murmured sounds of agreement. Then, surprisingly, Bruce spoke up. "People tend to either love or hate Tony. Either way, though, they _respect_ him, and that's almost more important. Plus, he has more connections than anyone I've met, and I have a feeling he's only barely begun to show that off. There's no one better suited to drawing the world together for something like this. Loki's right - Tony's the right person to lead this, at least in the eyes of the earth. He's got the personality and charisma to bring everyone in and charm them all to his side, plus the pull and the good public opinion to help back him up in the media, which is just as important as everything else."

"The other realms will recognize and respect that he speaks as an emissary for Midgard, if they don't accept him at his own value to them. The more allies he builds, the stronger his position becomes. What all of you need to decide is where you're going to stand. Whose position are you going to back? Anthony... or SHIELD."

"Shut it off, J." Tony wasn't sure he wanted to hear whatever words came next.

Loki had neatly laid things out for them all in a way that Tony hadn't been able to do yet. He'd put it to them bluntly, and yet, he'd done it in a way that left an open, clear option for them to take. He'd manipulated the room perfectly to draw them all towards Tony's side of things. The question was – why? Why was he bringing them to Tony's team?

As much as Tony appreciated it, he had to be practical here. Loki barely knew him. Sure, they were allies. Right from the start, they were allies. Contracted and everything. But the level of loyalty that Loki was showing was…weird. Tony thought about it as he finally got himself in the shower and started to get clean. He thought about it as he scrubbed that nasty feeling off his hair.

Why was Loki acting like this? Even when he was playing both sides of something, trying to find out where he'd have a better chance of surviving, playing that game that he'd learned how to play so long ago, there was always something about him that was cautious. _That_ was what Tony had expected to see. Caution and suspicion under the guise of friendliness. He'd anticipated more probing questions; more trying to find out _anything_. He definitely hadn't expected all of this.

What if... Tony furrowed his brow, hands pausing in his hair. Odin had removed memories of Anto from Loki and Thor, but what if the spell only removed the memories? It made sense - the way that Loki was responding to Tony, the insane amount of trust he was showing, how his seidr still reacted to Tony with absolute trust and familiarity. It was like the memories were gone, but the emotional ties were still there.

That was both good and bad. Good in the sense that it would likely continue to have Loki siding with Tony through this, trusting him even if he may not understand why. But bad as well, because if the emotional ties were still there, that meant that there was still something left behind. And that little something might be all that was needed to push and break through the rest of whatever spell had been used. If that happened... there was every chance that Loki could remember who Tony was.

Tony closed his eyes and let out a shuddering breath. The idea of Loki remembering him, of Thor remembering him, terrified him. What would they do once they knew the truth? How would they feel? How angry were they going to be with him? They'd demand to know what happened, what he'd done to get banished, all of it, and Tony wasn't sure he'd be able to deny them.

Yet, at the same time, something deep in Tony longed for them to look at him and _see_ him. To have his family recognize him once more. Even if they hated him, at least they'd still _see_ him. He wouldn't have to pretend to be anyone. Not Einn, not Tony Stark, not some ordinary traveler. He could just be _himself_ without fear of being discovered.

Tony sighed and shook his head. Then he went back to washing his hair. There wasn't time to indulge in those kinds of worries or fantasies. All he could do right now was focus on the problem at hand. The rest of it, well... he'd deal with it if it ever came up.

* * *

Forty minutes later Tony was making his way onto the communal floor where JARVIS had told him everyone was gathered for breakfast. He'd dressed to impress by putting on one of his better, more form-fitting suits. After being so weak yesterday, he needed to at least present an image of strength today. Show that he was okay, back to normal, no need to worry about him.

When he walked into the room, Tony had expected a few curious stares, some questions, maybe even a bit of annoyance. What he hadn't expected was to find a scene as artfully set as the one they'd put together for SHIELD.

Steve was making breakfast with Bruce while Natasha and Clint were set at the island bar in positions that let them clearly watch the kitchen as well as the table. Loki sat at the table - the side, not the head, deliberately making himself more _open_ and _friendly_ in a move meant to put Tony at ease - with a single item set up in front of him. Fizik stood off to the side, eyes already on Tony the minute that he came in, and it was clear by his body language just whose team he was on here. The hand that rested on his axe made it just as clear that he was willing to do whatever it took to stand by him.

Mentally, Tony made a note to scold JARVIS later for not warning him on what he was walking into. For now, there was nothing else to do except make his way into the room, a bright smile painted on his lips. "Well, well. Looks like the whole Scooby Gang is here. We got a meeting I wasn't aware of?" Tilting his head up, Tony lifted a finger and wagged it at JARVIS's nearby camera. "Naughty boy, J. You're supposed to remind me of these things!"

"My apologies, sir," JARVIS said. There was a hint of bite to his next words that had Tony's lips twitching. "I wasn't aware of this meeting until moments before the elevator doors opened."

 _Ohhh_ , Loki had been _sneaky_ about this, then. He'd planned it all out in a way that hadn't allowed JARVIS to alert Tony beforehand. Smart, really. Best way to get an honest reaction out of Tony. But at the same time, it was also the best way to piss JARVIS off, and that was something no one wanted to do. JARVIS could get a bit vindictive. Especially if he felt someone had gotten in the way of him protecting Tony. There was nothing the AI took more seriously than Tony's safety.

Well, they'd gone to all this trouble to set things up. Tony had a feeling he wasn't going to get out of it.

He swung through the kitchen, smiling at Bruce when the guy shot him a discreet, apologetic look that made it clear he hadn't known about this, either. Tony smiled reassuringly and clapped a hand on his shoulder. Then he moved over to get coffee. This wasn't a conversation that was going to happen without coffee.

The room was surprisingly quiet while Tony finished preparing his cup. He didn't say anything to break it, either. Let them sweat a little.

Only when his cup was ready did he finally turn and make his way towards the table and the conversation that was waiting for him there.

Tony dropped himself down into the chair opposite Loki. His posture was laid back, not the least bit defensive, and his smile was his press 'I don't care' smile that he'd perfected so long ago. Tony deliberately didn't look at the belt and daggers that lay on a dark green cloth in the center of the table. Instead, he kept his eyes on Loki's, and he let his smile grow. "There something you wanna ask me, Lokes?"

Loki met his gaze calmly and without flinching. "How did you come into possession of these?"

"Straight to the point, huh?" Tony's lips twitched a little. "No foreplay, baby? Just shoving it right on in. Tsk, tsk." He gave a sad shake of his head, though his smile never faded.

A pained sound came from someone that Tony was willing to bet was Steve, just like he was pretty sure the low chuckle was Clint. He didn't turn to check, though. He kept his eyes on Loki and watched amusement light up those green eyes. "I've found that sometimes better results are gained when one is direct."

"True." Tony agreed. "But it's nowhere near as fun." Then he winked as he brought his coffee mug up to rest in front of his mouth.

The banter was instinctive and _fun_ , and it gave Tony an opportunity to try and figure out what he was going to say here. This wasn't a situation that he'd anticipated. What little thought he'd given to it, he'd figured that there was no real risk of Loki or anyone recognizing these daggers seeing as they belonged to Anto and they didn't know him. But if Loki was calling him out like this, it had to mean that he recognized something about them.

There was no way Tony was going to be able to answer until he knew what Loki knew.

After taking a slow drink of his coffee, he tilted his head and studied Loki's face curiously. "Do you actually know what these are?" If Loki were going to be a bit blunt, Tony would do the same.

Loki hesitated only briefly - not enough for the others to notice, but enough for Tony to see. "There are legends. Stories which I believed were nothing more than a simple myth. Whispers of a pair of deadly daggers even the most powerful of mages fear the touch of. There's not much more, yet enough remains for me to recognize them when I saw them. More than that, I can _feel_ them and the power they carry. Far more than a simple spelled dagger."

So, he knew of the daggers, just not of the mage that made them. Tony mentally nodded to that. He could work with that.

He kept up the same casual air he'd had this whole time as he shrugged. "They were a bitch to make. Almost killed me to do it, actually. Took practically every last ounce of seidr I had. But I'm pleased with the results."

" _You_ made them?" The light in Loki's eyes went razor sharp. All his focus narrowed down onto Tony.

Smirking, Tony took another drink of his coffee. Then he looked at Fizik, eyes moving to the daggers and then the dwarf, and he gave a small nod of permission. Fizik smiled back at him before walking to stand at the back of Tony's chair, facing Loki and angling himself to see the others in the room as well. "Master Tony did indeed make these, a long time ago. They were given to the dwarves for safekeeping years ago, and my Uncle gave them back before Master Tony went to undertake _Lorak-ha._ He wanted him to be as prepared as possible when he went in there."

Tony's words, and Fizik's confirmation, only brought more questions than answers. They'd made it clear that these daggers were really Tony's, that he'd made them, and yet they'd given away nothing else. Nor did Tony intend to. At least, not the kind of things that Loki was hoping he'd give away.

He did, however, reach out and pull one of the daggers out of its sheath. _Krasa._ He expertly spun her with one hand until the tip was pressed against his forearm. Then he drew his hand back and turned the blade a few more times. The fact that Loki leaned back, while the others didn't, said a lot more about Loki's knowledge of these daggers, and the lack of knowledge in the others.

Another twirl brought the dagger tip down to press against the table. Tony kept his middle finger on the end of the handle, balancing it there carefully. For the first time since the conversation had started, he brought his eyes up to run over the others. All of them were watching him now. Not even Steve was moving. "Did Loki tell you what these are?" Tony asked them.

"He said they were dangerous, and that we shouldn't touch them," Steve answered for the room.

Hmm. "He was right about that." Tony was going to have to get a case for them, a spelled one so that no one but him could open it, and make sure they stayed in there until he summoned them. That was the best way to keep them safe and stop any accidental injuries. "I made these daggers a long time ago, and I poured a lot of seidr - magic - into them. All it takes," Tony lifted the dagger, tossing it up and catching it, before turning to drag just the point against his opposite forearm. He heard Loki make a pained noise, felt him lunge, and just ignored him. "Is one single nick. It only needs to break the skin, that's it, and the power can seep right in. Once it does, there's no saving you."

"Is it poisoned?" Bruce asked, ever the scientist. He was already eying the cut on Tony's arm like he was aching to inspect it, study it, and bandage it up.

Tony's lips quirked. "You could say that, Big Guy."

"It's said they drive you mad," Loki said slowly. His eyes were locked on the cut on Tony's arm, which was bleeding ever so slightly as it slowly healed. "The legends say it carries the power to drive a person mad, turning their own mind against them until it utterly destroys them."

"The bigger the cut, the faster it happens." Tony drew the dagger up again, and then waved his hand and vanished both blades and the belt down to the safe in his workshop. It'd do to hold them for now.

When he looked up, he found Natasha eying him cautiously. "I assume you have immunity since they're yours?" She looked down at his cut and then back up to his face.

The smile that Tony let curve his lips was one that he knew was terrifying. It was one that didn't bother to hide an ounce of the madness that lived underneath his skin and inside his mind. He was the god of inspiration and madness. A living embodiment of those traits - both the good and the bad. Tony didn't bother hiding any of that as he smiled up at Natasha. Then he deliberately turned to look up at Fizik. "Why don't you grab us some plates, kiddo, an we'll head down to the workshop for breakfast? I've got a few things to do an I should probably show you around before I get going on those. Plus, the sooner we get you started on your studies, the sooner we'll get to have some real fun."

No one stopped him as Tony pushed himself up and waited for Fizik to gather their food. It wasn't until they were moving away, that Loki spoke again. "How long do you believe you can keep your past secret, Anthony Stark?" He called out. His tone was low and non-threatening, yet it carried easily to Tony. "We gain more allies with each visit. One of them is going to recognize you, and there will be no more hiding then."

Those words hit closer to home than Loki probably realized. Tony closed his eyes, his back to everyone, and drew in a steadying breath, trying to push down the terrifying images that filled his mind. When he finally spoke, his voice was thankfully steady. "I'll cross that bridge when I get there."

He looked back, unable to keep from looking at Loki's face. What he found was a mask that it hurt to see. One that carefully hid any thoughts inside. Yet, some of it showed through with just a hint of bitterness as Loki asked, "Do you trust us that little?"

"The last time I trusted someone, it got me tortured, locked in magic-suppressing cuffs, and left to die by the very person who should've kept me safe," Tony said flatly.

Without another word, he turned and very deliberately didn't teleport out of there, choosing to walk with Fizik to the elevator. No one said a word to stop them.


	17. Chapter 17

Taking Fizik into his more public workshop was the perfect distraction. Once in there, Tony didn't have to focus on anything or think about anything other than work. It helped that Fizik was utterly in awe of just about everything that he found in there. Every piece of machinery, every suit on the wall, all of it - Fizik was clearly just as much in love as Tony always was.

The Iron Man suit was what he went to first, of course. It was the first time Tony had ever had anyone in his workshop that appreciated the armor the same way that Tony did. Fizik, after checking that he had permission to touch, stood there at Tony's most current suit model and stroked a hand over the metal of it. His expression was one of open awe. As Fizik pet the leg of the armor, he spoke almost absently, slipping back into the dwarven tongue without thought. " _Tis a thing of beauty, Master Tony._ "

The wonder in Fizik's voice had Tony's lips quirking up. He sat down on one of his rolling stools and settled in to watch as Fizik inspected every inch of it. "He's got to be one of my favorite creations so far. I built the first one in a cave, out of scraps, and I've been improving on them ever since."

" _You've incorporated magic into them._ " Fizik hummed, fingers tracing some of the spellwork hidden along one of the calf plates. He squatted down to get a better look at it. What he saw had him making a low noise of approval.

"This suit was my first real chance to incorporate human engineering with magic," Tony admitted. "I'm pretty proud of it, actually. I've used some subtle things over the years, but with this one, I didn't have to bother trying to hide anything I did. That made it a whole lot easier. See, over here..." As Tony pushed up off the seat, hands already moving to reach for the suit even as he spoke, he found himself getting lost in the pure joy of discussing his suits.

There were very few people who were able to appreciate just how much work it took to make these suits. Fewer still who would be able to understand what it meant to mix engineering and magic together like this. But Fizik understood. He followed along in ways that very, very few others would be able to. What he didn't understand, he asked questions about until he did.

The more questions that Fizik asked, the more caught up in things Tony got until the whole thing with the others was pushed entirely from the engineer's mind. Fizik's questions didn't always bring just answers; sometimes they had the two of them debating new ways to do things, ways to hide the magic or feed seidr into the suit.

Sometimes they had to pause so that Tony could walk Fizik through some of the equipment and help him understand what it was, or how it worked. Fizik was smart, though, and he caught on fast, and he wasn't afraid to ask any of his seemingly endless questions.

Tony couldn't remember the last time he'd had so much fun in his workshop.

The two finally stopped to take a break when their stomachs began to loudly demand sustenance. Tony set down the repulsor glove he'd been adjusting to better fit Fizik's hand - how was he supposed to understand if he didn't feel it for himself? - and grinned at his own growling stomach. "I'm not usually one to say this, but I think it's time we take a break and get something to eat. Come on, Fizzy Pop, let's get this put away and go find some grub."

No sooner had Tony taken a step than he felt a surge of power just outside his wards, coming into the top of his building. A wave too strong for him to be able to stop. Not without giving himself away as far more powerful than he wanted to admit to. Every inch of Tony locked down tight for one brief moment and then loosened up in preparation to run. Because that wasn't just energy he was feeling nearby. That was _Bifrost_ energy. "Son of a bitch."

"Master Tony?" Fizik stood at Tony's side, one hand resting on the head of his axe. When he'd put the belt back on, Tony didn't know, but the dwarf looked more than ready to defend.

Tony shook his head, gesturing with one hand for Fizik to stand down. This wasn't something he was going to be able to fight. Closing his eyes, Tony took a slow, steadying breath. "Thor's back."

There was a part of Tony that was able to stay somewhat rational. That was the part of him that took note of the fact that Thor returned using the Bifrost. That meant it had to be repaired now. So, any leverage they'd hoped to gain with others because they were without Asgard's protection, it was now gone. They were back to their original plans.

The rest of him, though, was too busy panicking to really think about that at the moment. Tony could feel his heart pounding in his chest. His seidr was braced and ready to get him the hell out of here at an instant's notice. So far, he felt only Thor up there. He could feel the Bifrost releasing him, feel Thor landing on the top of the building, and he could sense it as Loki headed up there. There was no sign of Odin or any of his warriors anywhere.

Millions of questions raced through Tony's mind. What had Thor told Odin? What had Odin said? Had he figured anything out? Had he looked? The wards should keep Heimdall from being able to see him - Loki hadn't come up with a way to hide from Heimdall on his own, he'd learned that from Tony, and Tony had always been good at it. But had Tony's hiding made them more suspicious? Were they trying to watch? Were they going around asking questions about him on other realms? Did Odin suspect anything?

There were so many questions and only one way to get answers.

"JARVIS." Tony was proud of how steady his voice was. Not a hint of his inner fear showed through. "Order us up a stack of pizzas, would you? My usual order, plus enough for four others like me, and then some for the humans. Make sure to get everyone's favorites in there, too, and give the place a little extra if they can get it here quickly. Then let everyone know that dinner will be on its way soon, an then send them towards the meeting room on my floor. Fizik..." he turned to speak to his companion next, only for Fizik to cut him off.

"I'll clean up here," Fizik said. He smiled up at Tony and relax his posture, making a sweeping 'go' gesture with one hand. "You go take care of business, Master Tony. I don't need to be there for that. I'm here as a student and a warrior, but I know myself well enough, an I know I'm not ready to be a part of any Council Meeting. I trust you to represent our Clan."

That was no small thing. That kind of trust, it was huge, and Tony would do his damnedest to honor it.

Reaching out, he clapped a hand on Fizik's shoulder, giving it a squeeze while smiling down at him. Then he let go and nodded. "All right. J, help Fizzy here find where to put things if he needs it, and make sure to reroute his pizzas into here for him."

Tony left Fizik cleaning up the workshop, and he headed into the elevator that would take him up to his floor. Once he was inside the elevator, and the doors were closed Tony was free to slump back against the wall for a moment and just close his eyes and breathe. Fear was a living thing inside his stomach. It twisted and curled in there and left him feeling vaguely sick. "J, how are things looking?"

JARVIS didn't need clarification as to what Tony meant. He understood Tony far better than anyone else in existence. "Mr. Odinson and Mr. Liesmith are still speaking on the roof, Sir. It would appear that Mr. Odinson is in high spirits despite Mr. Liesmith's less than excited greeting. There is nothing to suggest that Mr. Odinson brings any sort of threat or bad news with him, though I don't have enough data on him to make an accurate assessment."

That was good. If Thor wasn't showing any openly obvious signs of anger or distress, it had to mean that he came with good news, right? He wasn't likely to come here to harm Tony or try and take him back. Thor had never been that good of an actor. If he had bad news, or he was upset, JARVIS would've been able to see it. The Thor that Tony had known had always worn his emotions right out there for everyone to see on his face. _He could've changed. It's been a long time since you really knew him,_ the cynical part of Tony pointed out.

There was no real way to know for sure. Not until Tony spoke with him. That meant that he was going to have to keep it together until he saw Thor and talked with him. Even then, Tony wouldn't be able to let his guard down, no matter how badly he might want to. Odin was a crafty bastard, and Tony wouldn't put it past him to have his suspicions and not tell Thor about them.

The game was getting more and more dangerous with each passing day. There was a feeling of impending doom that Tony couldn't get rid of. Not just because of Thanos, either. That was dangerous enough as it was. But, this? Tony's life? It felt like it was a tower of cards, just barely held together, and all it would take was one wrong move, one wrong _breath_ , and the whole thing was going to come toppling down. All Tony could do was hope that he'd be able to minimize the damage when it finally did.

* * *

Tony was the first one to reach the meeting room. No real surprise there. He was grateful for it, too, as it allowed him to take a few extra minutes to compose himself. After the little meeting this morning in the kitchen, and now Thor's return, Tony needed to have his masks more in place than ever. This was not the time to slip up and make a mistake. Every eye was on him, and it was going to take a performance worthy of his lost title as Prince to make damn sure he didn't mess this up.

Bruce was the first to arrive. Seeing his science bro brought a small smile to Tony's lips. The engineer was already seated at the head of the table, drinking a cup of coffee that he'd brewed from the pot that sat on one of the room's side tables. There were few places in Tony's tower he couldn't get coffee if he wanted to. This room? This was where he spent his time plotting and planning for the coming war. Of course, he was going to make damn sure he had both coffee and alcohol in here.

When Bruce came in, he poked his head in first, and he had a shy look on his face that made it abundantly clear he wasn't sure if he was going to be welcome. Tony hurried to rectify that. He beamed brightly as he cried out "Brucie! Get in here!" He didn't even wait for Bruce to get the rest of the way in the room before he started babbling at his friend. "It's been way too long since we got a chance to play with science. You would not believe some of the things I saw when I was gone. There are so many things I want to do now that I'm back home. You should come down later and help out me an Fizik. We're gonna play around with the laws of physics a bit."

A reluctant grin tugged at the edges of Bruce's mouth. While the others might think of this guy as the Hulk or the shy guy he came off as most of the time, Tony knew better. He knew Bruce was a scientist at heart and one who was more than willing to tinker around with things given the right motivation. He had a need to _know_ that was almost as insatiable as Tony's that was matched by an equally strong drive to _do it_. To make something great. That was what had spurred him along and ended with him making the Hulk, after all. The belief that he was right, the ego, and the need to _know_.

"You and Fizik had fun, I take it?" Bruce asked. He made his way into the room and, after a moment's hesitation, took the seat to Tony's left that Tony gestured to. It was a perfect place for him to be, firmly on Tony's side, which was a message Tony wanted to present. He wanted the others to see Bruce up there by him and know that not only was Bruce on Tony's side, he was also _protected_ by Tony.

Grinning, Tony leaned back in his chair and cradled his mug in his hands. "Oh, you're gonna _love_ it, buddy boy. Fizik might just be at Journeyman status with the dwarves, but by human standards, he's leagues ahead of most here when it comes to building things, and he picks up _fast_ on the science aspect of it. He's eager to learn it all, too. Can't seem to absorb it fast enough. I wouldn't be surprised if he's downstairs studying right now."

JARVIS spoke up, his voice just as warm as Tony's had been. Clearly, he was already getting a bit fond of the little guy. "Young Fizik is currently in the small bedroom attached to the back of the workshop, studying the books I've downloaded to a tablet for him."

That had Tony grinning. Fizik was showing already that he was an outstanding student, someone who was passionate about his work, and who was smart enough to keep up. It helped that the kid relaxed when they were in the workshop. In there, Tony got to see the sassy, full-of-questions, remarkably cheerful guy that he'd first met. When he relaxed like that, he was a lot of fun to be around.

The door opened again, and Tony gave a genuine smile at the two who came walking in. No real surprise that they showed up together. Natasha gave him a look-over the instant she was in the room. She didn't even bother trying to hide it. She very blatantly checked him over for injuries and then met his stare, giving him a nod before she moved over to Bruce, smiling at him while she sank down into the seat at his side.

Clint was even more direct than Natasha was. He came and threw himself down into the seat directly across from her, leaving a place between him and Tony, and he grinned while kicking his feet up on the table. "You're finally looking less like death warmed over."

Fluttering his eyelashes, Tony blew Clint a kiss. "Barton, you say the sweetest things!"

"Only the best for you, Stark," Clint fired back, blowing a kiss of his own.

That was the scene that Thor, Loki, and Steve all came in on. Tony and Clint blowing kisses back and forth, Bruce rolling his eyes, and Natasha watching them with a faint air of amusement.

It took a lot of effort for Tony not to startle at the sight of both his brothers walking in behind Steve. Dealing with Loki every day, well, it hadn't made it _easy_ , but it had made it _easier_. Tony didn't feel so much like he was getting a fist to the gut each time he saw him. But Thor? Thor hadn't been here, which meant that Tony hadn't had any time to adjust to his presence. Seeing him now was enough to steal Tony's voice away.

Tony had always loved his brothers. Granted, what he felt for Loki, well... that was something best not talked about. But no one had ever been able to say that Tony didn't love his family. Thor - Thor was his big brother. The guy who'd played with him. Who'd carried Tony around on his shoulders to help him see over crowds during the parades. His bed was the one that Tony had curled up in when they were both little, the two of them exchanging stories underneath the sheets. He was the guy who would drive Tony absolutely insane by posturing in front of his friends, trying to come off as so big and bad and tough, and then he'd turn around and do something like plan a trip when Tony was down, and make sure that the kitchen packed all Tony's favorite foods. He'd even thunk Fandral if he tried to steal any of the food before Tony got it.

Thor had been arrogant, cocky, far too much a stereotypical spoiled prince. But he'd been Tony's big brother first.

Seeing him now, seeing the way that he greeted everyone so cheerfully, with a big smile and handshakes, it made Tony's stomach twist.

He didn't let that show on the outside when Thor greeted him, though. Tony just slumped back a little more in his chair and flashed a grin up at Thor. "Hey to you too, Point Break. Good to have you back. You got any good news for us?"

Tony's question brought them all neatly onto the important subject here. Any more greetings were lost as all eyes turned to Thor. The prince had stopped himself at the end of the table opposite Tony, hands resting on the back of the chair, but Loki stepped around him to come up and slip down into the chair between Clint and Tony.

At the same time, Tony's question seemed to make Thor's expression fall a little. He looked unhappy, and it wasn't hard to imagine why. Tony resisted the urge to sigh. He knew Asgard wasn't going to be easy.

"I spoke with the Allfather about everything," Thor told them, already giving a small shake to his head. "He says that he has seen no such threat on our horizon, and he has no desire to court any trouble based on..." Thor paused, just barely hiding a wince, and his eyes flicked over to Loki and then down.

That wasn't that hard to read. A sneer curled Loki's mouth. "On my word alone. He does not believe I was under the Mad Titan's control."

"He questions whether this could be trickery of some sort," Thor admitted reluctantly.

Clint gave a low whistle. "Wow. So, what? Tony ripping this guy out of Loki's head, that's not proof enough?" He gave a small shake of his head. " _Nice_. Good to know what sort of guy Odin is."

There was a brief flash of temper in Thor's eyes at the insult to the Allfather. It surprised Tony to see that he suppressed it, though, in the end settling for a soft "Aye."

However, this wasn't something that Tony hadn't expected. He took another drink of his coffee and sat back enough in his seat to cross his legs. None of his inner emotion showed on the outside at the moment. He couldn't afford to let it. Even his voice was calm when he spoke, drawing all eyes to him. "Did you guys really think it'd go otherwise? Some strange magic user that Odin doesn't know - one that he can't see since I'm pretty damn good at hiding myself from the creepy stalker in the sky - and you guys, what? Thought he'd just take my word that Loki's clear-minded? That he'd accept Thor's word on it just because _I_ said so?"

The others all exchanged brief looks. It was Steve who spoke, though. "I guess we all thought he'd take Loki's word for it," he said slowly, glancing hesitantly at Loki.

The sneer Loki wore only grew more pronounced. Cold fire danced threateningly in his eyes. "The Allfather has never chosen to believe my words in the past. Why should he do so now? I'm the liar. The monster hidden in a false Asgardian skin. What reason would he have to place his trust in me?"

"Plenty!" Tony snapped before he could stop himself. He schooled his expression as all eyes turned to him, trying not to let it show just how badly it pissed him off to hear Loki talk about himself like that. To hear the resignation in his tone. But now wasn't the time for a rant about Loki's self-image. Tony drew in a breath and yanked himself back on topic. "It doesn't matter why he didn't believe Thor, though. What matters is what he plans on doing about it in the future. Is he just going to sit back? Does he want to meet, talk?" _Please, please, let it not be that._

That brought all eyes back to Thor. He was still standing, leaning in now to rest on his arms on the chair back. To the others, he might've looked serious. However, Tony read unhappiness in the hunch to Thor's shoulders, in the way he seemed to have to steel himself before he looked up and met Tony eye to eye. His unhappiness with this all was clear, as was his resolve to do right by his king.

"The Allfather won't stand against your preparation efforts. Should there be new information, he will gladly review it and make a new judgment accordingly. Until then..."

"...until then, we are on our own," Loki cut in, finishing his sentence for him. He didn't look surprised by this, either, although there was bitterness aplenty in his eyes.

This wasn't that surprising of an outcome. It was also better than what could've happened. For that alone, Tony was happy with it. Anything that kept the Allfather from trying to come down here and find out what was going on was a good thing in Tony's books. It meant he could stay longer. That he didn't yet have to run.

His internal musings were cut off when Thor straightened up and cleared his throat. He stood proud and tall as everyone's eyes went his way. Spine straight, one hand resting on Mjolnir at his waist, Thor pressed his free fist against his heart and stared steadily at Tony, every inch a prince and warrior at that moment. "Anthony Stark, I beg the right to stay here with the rest of your shield brothers and sister. To pledge myself to your cause, to the protection of Midgard and its people, and to fight at your side."

Tony's eyebrows shot up. He'd sort of expected Thor to just stick around no matter what Tony had to say about it. He hadn't expected this.

Though the rest of the room - minus Loki - might not realize it, Tony knew that Thor's offer was a big deal. A huge deal. The way he asked, his posture, his word choice, those all held meaning. For someone who had played a diplomatic game for centuries and centuries before the humans in this room even existed, it wasn't hard for Tony to read it. It was, however, hard to _hear_ it.

Thor was speaking to Tony with far more respect than Tony had expected. He wasn't treating him like a king, no. Or even like the prince that Tony was. No, he was talking to him like... like Tony was the General here. Thor was speaking to him as if Tony were the Prince General of Midgard - the very same role that Tony had carried on Asgard.

If Tony accepted this, he was also taking a role of power over Thor. He was allowing Thor into his army, so to speak, and Thor would honor that by listening to Tony in battle and following his lead. It was something that Thor had barely even done back when they were young, and Anto was General. To have him offer it now... Tony was stunned.

Judging by the way Loki's eyebrows shot up, he was equally surprised.

Tony's thoughts all ran through his mind in a split second. He barely missed a beat before he straightened himself up ever so slightly in his chair. Though he didn't rise, he did shift his mug to one hand so that his other was free to come up to press against his heart the same way that Thor was doing. He mentally sifted through various responses before settling on the only one he knew he could make. The only one he _wanted_ to make. "I accept your pledge, Thor Odinson, First Prince of Asgard, God of Thunder, and I welcome you into my home and into my garrison. Wherever we are, wherever we go, you will always find water and shelter with us, shield-brother."

Off to the side, Tony heard Loki made a low almost-humming sound, followed by a murmured "Well done" and a look of appreciation Tony's way. He understood, even if the others wouldn't, what just happened. Tony hadn't only accepted Thor's pledge to help in their fight. He'd taken it and made it more, accepting Thor not just as a fellow warrior, but as a shield-brother, an extremely high honor. One that Thor wouldn't be able to ignore without destroying _his_ honor. He'd also placed Thor in a position where listening to Tony when it came to battle would be expected of him, instead of the fight Tony had worried it would be. In one move, Tony had worked to tie Thor a little more firmly to them.

Thor bowed low, hand still over his heart. "Thank you."

Everything was done just in time, too, it would seem. No sooner had Thor straightened back up than JARVIS was speaking. "Sir? We've just received word from Agent Coulson - a group of robots under the lead of one Dr. Doom are attack downtown."

"Dr. Doom?" Tony sat up, already reaching to set the coffee cup down before he pushed to his feet. "Doesn't Reed Richards and his crew handle that asshole, J?"

"They're unreachable at this moment, Sir."

Of course they were. Because Richards was an asshole who loved nothing more than to piss Tony off, even if it was just by _existing_.

Tony looked past the others, who had all risen to their feet, and down the table to Thor. "Well," Tony said, grinning. "I guess you got good timing, Fabio. Feel like punching some robots?"

A grin lit Thor's face. He pulled Mjolnir free and hefted her in his hand. "It would be my pleasure."

* * *

It was almost pathetic how easily the team fought against Doom. Maybe the Fantastic Four had a bit more trouble with him. For the Avengers, however, it was a little too easy. Then again, they had a god of thunder on their team who could call lightning from the sky, two powerful mages, and a Hulk. Doom's robot army didn't stand much of a chance.

When the fight was done, and Tony returned to his workshop, Fizik was there waiting for him, watching in fascination as JARVIS removed the suit for him. The dwarf looked Tony over and grinned when he saw no injuries. "I take it the fight went well, then?"

"Easy enough. We're all a bit shaky together, especially adding Thor to the mix, but I think we'll figure things out." The helmet came off, and Tony grinned down at Fizik. Here, it wasn't hard for him to admit, "I was hoping for a bit more of a challenge, actually. Doom's robots _suck_."

"Can I ask you a question, Master Tony?"

The fact that Fizik felt the need to ask permission for his question was enough to have Tony raising his eyebrows. More than that, ti was enough to have him on edge. Because, so far, Fizik hadn't been the least bit hesitant about asking him anything. Having him ask permission now... it had Tony watching him curiously while he nodded to give his consent. "Go ahead. You can always ask. Doesn't always mean I'll answer, though."

Fizik nodded like he'd expected that. "With you being... who you are... why do you use such a big suit of armor? You could probably make the whole thing lighter, easier to maneuver in, an still keep the same capabilities like the repulsors and flight without it weighing ya down so much."

 _Oh_. That definitely wasn't the question Tony had been expecting. Nor was it even a hard one to answer. Tony stood still for the last piece of the suit to be pulled away and then stepped down off the platform to head towards the back of the shop where he could strip out of his undersuit. "It was the perfect cover. Throw a punch that's a little too hard? Get shot and keep on going? Oh, new suit upgrades, no big deal. Inside that tin can, no one has any reason to suspect I can do more than I should."

Tony had no shame whatsoever as he stripped out of his undersuit on his way back to the bedroom that he kept at the back of the shop. He wasn't surprised to find that it looked like Fizik had set himself up back there. Smiling, Tony grabbed some clothes from the dresser and pulled them on.

The way that Fizik was looking at him once Tony turned back around, though, made it clear he wasn't sure about Tony's reaction to him obviously having clothes and things in here. Tony chuckled and clapped a hand on Fizik's shoulder. "Don't worry about it, kid. If you're more comfortable in here, go right ahead. Just leave my clothes in at least one drawer of the dresser, all right? I gotta have some for when I need to change."

Everything about Fizik brightened. "Of course, Master Tony! Thank you!"

The enthusiasm in that had Tony chuckling and shaking his head. He used his hold on Fizik's shoulder to give the kid a shake and tug him forward. "C'mon, Fizzy. Let's go knock out a few of those dents, see how much we can get done before my Brucie Bear makes his way on down here. I'm hoping he'll come. We need a night of science. Science and magic! I mean, it's been ages since I blew anything up. J, let's blow something up!"

The sound of laughter blended together as the two made their way back into the shop.


	18. Chapter 18

Having Thor back at the tower with them brought about surprisingly little change. He melded into their life like there'd been a spot there just waiting for him to come back and fill. The only real tension that existed was between Loki and Thor - and a tiny bit between Tony and Thor, but that was pretty much all on Tony's side of things. Tony did his best to make sure he hid it, too.

They hit one little snag when it came time for dinner that first night. Well, two. One of them being an offhand remark about where Thor could go to prepare for dinner. "Where are our chambers, brother? I wish to prepare myself before we feast!"

The snap of fury in Loki's eyes was so familiar. It was enough to have Tony tensing himself in preparation for trouble even as he made his voice as casual as possible when he called out "I've got your own set of chambers all set up just for you, big guy. Go on and get into the elevator, and JARVIS will take you there."

Steve, bless his beautiful heart, caught the tension in the air and stepped forward to help. "Come on, Thor. I'll help show you around a bit. Some of these things take a bit of getting used to."

Behind Thor's back, Tony shot Steve a grateful look and got a smile in return.

Their maneuvering hadn't exactly been subtle, and it earned Tony a sharp look from Loki. One that Tony met with a smile. Then, without giving time for Loki to say or do anything else, Tony practically flung himself at Clint. The archer caught him, of course. He did it easily, too, just shifting his feet to better brace as Tony's weight hit his back. Tony draped himself over Clint and brought his chin to rest on the archer's shoulder. "I'm too tired to walk all the way to the kitchen," Tony said dramatically, pout fully in place. "Carry me."

"You're such a lazy little shit," Clint pointed out. Still, he shifted down just a little, enough for Tony to better climb up on him, and the engineer did it gleefully. It was even better when Clint reached his hands back and hooked them under Tony's knees.

A second later Tony was fully up on Clint's back being carried like a child. He flung his arms around the man's shoulders and neck and burrowed in happily. "You love me anyway."

Clint carried him into the kitchen, the two of them ignoring the way that Bruce was shaking his head at them, or how Loki had rolled his eyes. Natasha actually reached out and ruffled Tony's hair as they went past, which got her one of Tony's beaming smiles. He really had gotten lucky with these two as friends. Natasha was warming up to him more and more, and Clint was the absolute best person for the physical contact that Tony adored.

As if to prove that, the archer didn't even put Tony down once they got to the kitchen. He just held him while looking around at everyone else. "So, we actually making something today or we ordering in again?"

"I'm not cooking," Tony insisted immediately. He didn't _want_ to cook, and he didn't want to have to get down, either.

"Me either," Bruce chimed in, echoed by an "Or me," from Natasha.

Loki arched one eyebrow at them when all eyes turned his way. He looked from one person to the next and slowly began to scowl at them. "You are all ridiculously lazy." There was amusement hidden in his eyes, though, if you knew how to look for it. "Why do you not simply hire a chef if you wish to cook so little?"

That question was directed at Tony, who shrugged his shoulders. "Why bother? J can get me just about anything I need without me even having to leave the shop, if necessary. Plus, I've got you guys now!"

"You are far too dependent on your technology."

Tony gasped dramatically. He felt Clint shake his head and heard the low "Oooooh, you've done it now," that the archer murmured. Tony ignored it to perk up a little until he was sitting up straighter on Clint's back. Thankfully, half-Asgardian though he may be, Tony took after his elvish side enough to not be as heavy as he could be, which made it easier for Clint to keep him in place. "How dare you?" Tony made sure his voice was as scandalized as possible. "My babies can _hear you_ , you know!" With that, Tony looked up at a nearby camera and switched his voice to something sweeter, more soothing. "Don't you listen to the big bad AEsir, Jarv. You're the most amazing thing to ever exist on this earth and the rest of the realms." Tony reached one hand out and patted the wall.

"Thank you, Sir." JARVIS's voice was warm and full of affection. He knew Tony well enough to know that the teasing was real, but that it didn't make the compliment any less honest.

Loki shook his head at them, though one corner of his mouth was quirking into a fond smile. He reached down to unbutton the sleeve of his dress shirt - a style he'd taken to wearing lately, with or without a vest, and it was entirely unfair the things it did to Tony to see him in those vests - and then gradually rolled up first one sleeve and then the other. "My apologies, JARVIS. No insult was meant to you. You are indeed a marvel," Loki complimented him. "Any father would, and should, be proud of you."

"Thank you, Master Liesmith." This time, it was easy for Tony to hear the pleasure in JARVIS's voice. He'd recognized the honesty in Loki's compliment, just as Tony had, and was pleased by it.

Tony smiled and snuggled back down into Clint again while watching Loki move to the fridge to gather food. Despite his teasing, he was going to cook, and Tony was more than happy with that. He'd always enjoyed Loki's cooking. Plus, he was pretty damn comfortable while he was waiting, and Clint didn't seem to be going anywhere.

As if he'd heard that thought, Clint turned them a little so that they were more by the island and it's barstools, and then twisted his head to look at Tony as best he could. "You planning on staying back there?"

"Problem?" Tony asked.

Clint rolled his eyes. "You weigh almost nothing, man. Seriously. Didn't you weigh more than this before you left? I swear you actually had _some_ weight on you the last time you sprawled on me." He let go with one hand long enough to poke at Tony's thigh, then back a little at his side. "You're getting skinny."

"I weigh more when I'm faking human," Tony admitted. He wiggled a little to escape Clint's poking finger, tightening his limbs around the man in retaliation. It had the arc reactor digging uncomfortably into his chest until he moved just right to ease the pressure on it. "Elves weigh less."

"So you're faking being human less than normal right now?"

Ignoring the way the others were paying attention, Tony shrugged. "Sometimes."

Clint contemplated that for a moment. "How come you don't ever stop completely? When we moved in, I figured you'd let down your illusion or whatever it is that hides your looks, but you always stay the same. You always look like Tony Stark."

That was a question that Tony should've known was coming. One he should've prepared himself for, actually. But it honestly caught him off guard. He tried not to let it show and played it off as casually as he could. "It's who I am, just as much as the rest of me." He shrugged one shoulder and hoped that Clint didn't feel the twitch in his arms. "This skin is almost as real as my own. Besides, you'll rarely find an elf that looks just one way. You should be more surprised I haven't been a hundred different people since you got here."

"It's true," Loki chimed in, looking up from the sink, where he'd taken vegetables he'd grabbed from the fridge. He started to wash them almost absently, the moves easy and practiced, while he brought his eyes up to Tony and Clint. "Quite a few elves are shapeshifters. There are tribes I've seen that alter their appearance frequently." The sound of the elevator cut him off, and he looked up briefly, lips pursing for just a moment, and then he was focusing on the food again with far more focus than it needed.

"Wait a second..." Bruce sat up straighter at the table, his attention a lot more focused on Tony, and his eyes alight with interest. "That's not just a magical illusion of some sort? You can actually shapeshift?"

"Who can shapeshift?" Steve asked, making his way into the kitchen with Thor right on his tail. He paused as he rounded the corner enough to see them all and he caught sight of Tony and Clint. "And why is Tony on Clint?"

Tony grinned and made a show of snuggling in again. "Cause he's comfy?"

"Cause _he's_ lazy," Clint corrected.

Fake gasping, Tony pulled on his best pout. "Birdie, you're breaking my heart here! Here I am, trying to compliment you, and you _insult_ me?"

"Calling me comfy is a compliment?" Clint asked, voice heavy with good humor.

Tony beamed at him. "Yep!"

The booming sound of Thor's laughter cut them off. Tony looked up and found his older brother grinning at them. "Touch among the elves is an essential thing, my friends. I have been told many times that I am comfortable, often in the same position you find yourself in now, friend Clint."

Well, now, that wasn't a lie. Tony remembered times he'd ridden on Thor's back. It'd happened less and less as they got older; usually only when he was sick or injured. But as children, he'd ridden on Thor plenty of times. When they were going across terrain that Tony's shorter legs hadn't been able to keep up with Thor on, or when they were playing their war games, and Thor would laugh and be the noble steed each time Tony demanded it. He'd always let Tony and Loki be the warriors if they wanted to be.

Judging by the glimpse Tony caught of Loki's face when he snuck a look at him, the other mage was thinking of a similar memory.

Steve looked like he wasn't quite sure what to make of that information. Instead of trying to figure it out, he shook his head, seemingly deciding to ignore it the same way he ignored other things that didn't quite make sense to him about Tony. "Tony's clinginess to Clint aside, were you guys actually talking about shapeshifting?"

"It is a trait of the elves," Thor said, following Steve over to the table. Tony was glad he'd ordered the stronger furniture; it held up as Thor grabbed a chair and pulled it back before dropping himself down into it.

That brought all eyes back to Tony, and back to the subject he'd honestly been hoping a bit to avoid. It didn't look like that was going to happen, though, and after a moment, Tony gave a mental shrug. Honestly, he'd wanted to shift this morning when he woke up. There were some days that, if Tony had his way, he'd walk around looking like his female counterpart. It was only because of the others here that he hadn't indulged himself - a feeling he was far too used to. But, if they were going to ask about it, why shouldn't Tony go ahead and be who he wanted to be?

With a soft breath, Tony let himself go through the familiar shift, his body changing - and his magic adapting his clothes for him as he did. He shifted his weight as the change finally finished, until _she_ was perched comfortably on Clint, accommodating a few new parts that hadn't been there seconds ago. Once she was done, she looked up and smiled at the people watching her, knowing that at least _one_ of them was going to recognize this face.

Tony wasn't disappointed in the reactions she got. Amidst Steve's surprised breath and Clint's " _Woah,_ " she heard Natasha make a low sound. When Tony looked up, it was just in time to see Natasha narrow her eyes at her. "It was _you_."

Tony let out a low, delighted laugh. "Yep!" A bright grin stretched over full lips in an impish look that was hard not to smile at. When she saw the confusion on the others, she laughed again. "More than one SHIELD agent tried to casually interrogate me when they saw me leaving the Malibu house a few times. Natalie Rushman and I had a nice chat one day when she came by with paperwork that needed to be signed." Tony winked at her. "I'll admit, I had more fun with that than I probably should've."

"You let me think you were lovers," Natasha accused. Her eyes were still narrowed as she stared at Tony. Anyone else would've been squirming underneath that look from her, or trying to figure out a way to get the hell out of there. The fact that Tony grinned at her only made her glare more.

"I woke up that morning, and I felt like being a girl instead of a guy, so I shifted before I even got out of bed. I didn't think I had anything going, so I wasn't too worried about it. I just wanted to indulge for a little bit without anyone around. When Natasha showed up, I was in the kitchen making coffee."

"Wearing one of your t-shirts," Natasha added.

Tony shrugged one shoulder. "It was comfortable." It'd also been all that Tony had been wearing. Just a t-shirt and nothing else. "I knew my usual female form looked too much like me, so I changed it around a little before she got to me. Made my eyes green, my hair lighter, instead of looking like I usually do." As Tony spoke, those very same features were changing; hair darkening, eyes turning brown, facial structure shifting ever so slightly until it wasn't just a female in front of them – it was very clearly a female Tony. "She would've been suspicious if I looked like this. When she came in, she probed a little to try and figure out who I was. I made her a cup of coffee and sat an talked with her for a while. It was fun."

"You just woke up and felt like being a girl?" Bruce asked, honest curiosity in his voice.

Again, Tony shrugged. "Pretty much." It wasn't something that had been all that acceptable when he was growing up. At least, not by everyone. Frigga and Odin personally hadn't ever seemed to care about it; it was one area that Tony didn't hate Odin for. While Odin might have carried the same views on sexuality that the rest of Asgard did, he didn't see gender in the same light. Tony was Tony no matter which form he took. He'd only warned Tony and Loki both to be careful when outside the palace like that.

Of course, that hadn't stopped the rest of Asgard from judging them. Tony remembered hearing Volstagg once, deep in his cups, laughing about how it was no wonder Tony was into men, or that he practiced magic, when he was truly a woman deep down inside.

Tony had knocked him out for that comment. Then he'd gone and hidden to nurse his wounded pride. It'd taken half a day for Loki to find him, and another half for him to draw Tony out.

The memory of that was a bittersweet one. Tony turned her face in towards Clint a little, letting her hair dip down to hide her just the slightest bit. When the others might've continued to press, or asked questions, Clint was the one holding her, and he was the one who was able to feel the hint of a tremble that had shaken her. That was all Clint needed to know to start steering the conversation in other directions. "Is it just elves that can shapeshift, or can the rest of you guys do it, too?" he asked, looking between Thor and Loki.

"Asgardians are not known for shapeshifting," Thor said solemnly.

Loki's lips pressed together again. He turned away from them to grab a skillet that he then brought over to the stove. After a long moment in which Tony wasn't sure what he was going to say or do, Loki surprised him by actually answering. "I have always been able to shapeshift. Though not all Jotnar are capable, all of their mages are. Just as they are all apparently of a smaller size." _A runt -_ those words weren't said, but Tony heard them.

She curiously watched Loki's face from behind her hair. When had Loki taken the time to study the Jotnar? The last Tony knew he'd been insistent on wanting nothing to do with them, and that they were all monsters. That _he_ was a monster. When had that changed?

They were interrupted by the elevator opening once again. Clint turned himself, and Tony lifted her head in just enough time to watch as Fizik came into the room.

Fizik didn't even bat an eye at the sight of Tony on Clint's back, or that she was female. He just came right up to her and grinned at her. "Your JARVIS let me know that dinner was almost ready. Are we heading back down to the workshop tonight after we eat, Mistress Tony?"

There was no way Tony could keep the bright grin off her face. "Probably. For now, though," she sat up a little straighter and squeezed her knees in. "To the couch, Jeeves!"

"Aye-Aye, _Mistress_ ," Clint mocked.

That drew a laugh from Tony, and the two started to bicker playfully as Clint carried Tony to the living room area, bringing Fizik along with them as they went. They left behind a group of amused and slightly confused companions. Bruce chalked it up to Tony being Tony and shook his head before going to join them. Natasha's lips twitched, yet she merely leaned against the counter, not bothering to join them. She was also the one to look over to Thor, who was watching the group with confusion on his face. "You get used to it," she reassured him. "Tony and Clint have a... unique friendship."

"Tony Stark's behavior is quite on par with many elves I have met," Thor reassured her. "In ways, he is quite a bit more reserved, actually. But... I was unaware that there was a dwarf in residence."

Loki didn't look up from his cooking as he answered him. "Anthony has gained us allies, and in a show of faith, brought one back with him as an apprentice and companion, as well as a fellow Clan member. He was accepted into the dwarven culture and has a Clan he now belongs to." At that, Loki paused, eyes flashing up to his brother. "I'd advise you to tread carefully. Dwarves are well known for being protective of their Clan members. As you should well remember."

Whatever story was behind that warning was enough to make Thor duck his head down and flush just a little. Smirking, Loki turned his focus back to the food, and seconds later the sound of a movie filled the floor as the occupants of the living room chose something to watch.

* * *

Tony had been so sure that Loki would bolt after Thor came back. His discomfort in being around his older brother was evident for pretty much anyone to see. Though, he was respectful enough to not really fight about it with anyone else around. Tony figured he must've remembered their argument way back at the beginning and was trying to keep himself controlled. When they were in private, well, that was a different story entirely. JARVIS had reported more than one fight between the two on Loki's floor.

But around everyone else, Loki kept up the cold and calm air that hid what he was truly feeling. Yet, he hadn't tried to leave.

When Tony subtly tried to ask about it, all he got was "I'm waiting to hear back on a few things before I head out. Now that the Bifrost is repaired, it changes some matters."

No matter how Tony or Thor or anyone prodded, that was all they got, and eventually Tony gave up on pushing. Loki would tell them when he was ready and not a moment before. That was just how he was.

Tower life was going peacefully for once. That was Tony's first clue that something was about to go wrong. Peace like this was always broken by something. Be it a fight, a call to Assemble, some world-ending issue, there was always _something_. He tried to prepare himself for it, only to find out in the end that he'd been thinking too big. Something happened to break the peace, all right, but it wasn't a fight. Not a real one.

It happened during a training session. So far, Thor had trained with them the same way Tony did, only participating in the group activities and abstaining from the actual sparring. Despite the fact that Steve had made it clear he had no issue getting a few bruises, Thor was apparently reluctant to cause harm.

However, there was only so long the guy could go without hitting things, at least as far as Tony had ever been able to see. He shouldn't have been surprised when Thor cornered him after a training session. With a big grin on his face, he stopped Tony before he could leave, and his booming voice echoed loudly around the training room. "My friend - might I interest you in a spar?"

Tony ignored his instinctive urge to flinch back from that question. He settled instead for flashing his biggest press grin. "Sorry, L'Oreal. I don't spar."

"I understand that you have refrained out of fear of hearting our companions, but you will find no such issue with me." Thor's grin grew even wider. "Do not worry, my friend. I will leave any magical sparring to you and my brother. I mean only a normal spar - a chance to stretch our muscles."

So far, Tony had been damn good at avoiding this. He could've sparred with Loki, he knew. The mage would've done it if Tony wanted. But he'd avoided doing this because, well, because of a lot of reasons. Namely the way just the idea of it made his heart clench hard in his chest at the thought of having even a taste of what had once been commonplace. Sparring with Thor, it would hurt far more than his body.

So why did Tony find himself saying "All right" instead of turning him down like he'd planned? The words were out before he could stop them and he wished instantly that he could take them back. Only, that wasn't going to be possible. Not with the way that Thor lit up at his acquiescence, or how everyone suddenly became a whole lot more interested in their conversation. Hell, Steve was already grinning and gesturing the others away from the mats they used, and he raised a hand to wave them over. "You guys can go ahead and go first!" The way he grinned at Tony made it clear he must've realized Tony hadn't intended on agreeing, and he was making sure this happened before he backed out.

Great. Just great. So, this was going to happen now. Tony mentally grumbled over it even while pasting on a smile. "All right then, Fabio. Let's get this show on the road."

Loki and Fizik, who had both been at different parts of the room, watching from the sidelines, they both made their way forward as well. Fizik came right up to Tony and met him alongside the mats. Since they'd just finished their group practice, Tony was in his suit. It was easy to have it open up and let him step out, though.

"Want me to take it downstairs an get it fixed up, Master Tony?" Fizik asked him. He handed over the bottle of water he'd been carrying, as well as a hand towel.

Tony looked at the items with surprise and then a small grin. He hesitated only briefly before taking them. He'd already discovered while working with Fizik that he didn't mind taking things from the dwarf. Strange though it was, Tony didn't mind so much being handed something by him. It said a lot for how much he trusted the guy.

Despite being stronger than the average human, riding around in the Iron Man suit _was_ a workout, and Tony appreciated both the drink of water and the towel to wipe down his face and neck. "You can if you want. It'll walk itself down there, though. You're more than welcome to stick around for a bit if you want to, watch me make an ass of myself trying to go up against Goliath over there."

A grin lit up Fizik's face. He and Thor hadn't really interacted so far. For the most part, Thor seemed to be avoiding him, which was something they should probably address at some point. Tony had let it go for now, though. He was waiting to see if they managed to resolve it on their own. He knew Thor didn't exactly have the best of reputations amongst the dwarves. They respected his skill - just... not so much his personality.

There was quite the audience watching around the room, and Thor and Tony made their way onto the sparring mats. This was such a mistake. Such a huge mistake. On so many levels. Not just the emotional ones, either, but the practical ones as well. Two beings with strength like theirs, sparring inside an enclosed area like this? Even a room as large as the training room was bound to take some damage. Tony resigned himself to that as he came to a stop in the middle of the mats.

He drew a breath that he hoped wasn't as noticeably shaky as it felt and he pasted on a smile. "No powers?"

"No powers," Thor agreed readily. He'd left Mjolnir on the side of the mats, thankfully.

"And try and avoid my chest. As much as I'm looking forward to a bit of play fighting, you break this light in my chest, and I'll end up all too dead, buddy boy."

 _Okay, you can do this. You can do this. Just a friendly spar between two extra-strong teammates. That's all this is. You can do this_. The pep talk didn't help quite as much as Tony hoped it would.

When Thor gave the proper bow any Asgardian would give before a match like this, it was instinct for Tony to return the same bow. He saw surprise flash through Thor's eyes and mentally cursed himself for slipping up already. Before Thor - or Loki, who was watching intently on the sidelines - could take time to make too much of it, Tony struck, hoping to distract them.

It worked.

The punch Tony threw was dodged, as was the second one, but the twist and kick he gave afterward weren't. Tony watched with satisfaction as Thor stumbled back a few steps. There was open surprise on his face for one instant. Then it was replaced with a familiar, wide grin. One that showed just how pleased he was at finding an actual challenger. "You have good form, Tony Stark."

"I had a good teacher."

Thor grinned, and then he leaped.

What came next could've been a scene out of Tony's childhood. It was easy to lose himself in the familiar moves as he and Thor came together and apart, trading blows and kicks that would've felled a human. The first time Thor managed to hit his arm hard enough to send Tony flying, the whole room seemed to tense, and the other Avengers were already shifting like they were going to rush in or call a halt to it.

Tony rolled when he hit the ground and caught himself before he slid right off the mats. He planted his hands on the ground and threw his head back, a grin lighting his face. For all his fear, he had to admit - this was starting to be _fun_. "That all you got, tough guy?"

He tossed himself back into the fight with a mad laugh and a grin.

It felt... good, to be able to let go a little bit. To stop worrying about his strength and the damage it could cause to the things or beings around him. Thor could take it. He'd taken this and so much worse plenty of times in the past. Tony enjoyed just letting himself go and putting to use skills that one would think had gotten rusty after all these years. It came back to him as easy as breathing. Tony's body flowed through the moves with a grace that was better than Thor's, though it'd never be on par with Loki's. The two fought roughly, yet with a joy that seemed to be a part of many Asgardians. Tony knew he was going to be a mess of bruises come tomorrow, and he didn't even care.

In the past, he'd always been able to hold his own against Thor, though he'd rarely won. This time around, Tony wasn't the same person. He'd learned a few new things. It was one of those that allowed him to get down underneath Thor's guard and catch him with a kick to the back of his knee that sent Thor toppling to the ground. In an instant, Tony was on him, one knee in Thor's back and his arms around his big brother's neck in a move that made it clear he could snap his neck in an instant. "Yield?"

Thor let out a rasping laugh, not in the least bit ashamed of it. "Yield!"

Tony let go of him and pushed his way up to his feet. He held a hand out when Thor rolled over and tugged him up as well. The thrill of having beaten his big brother - a rare thing - had Tony's mood a whole hell of a lot higher than he'd expected. The fear that he'd felt at the start of this was gone. It showed in the wide grin that was lighting up Tony's face. "Good fight."

"Indeed!" Thor reached a hand out and clapped Tony on the shoulder. He, too, was grinning, perfectly happy with the fight. "You fight well, Tony Stark! Though I must say, you fight unlike any elf I've encountered."

The words weren't meant as recrimination. Because of that, Tony found it easy to keep smiling. "I've had a lot of different teachers."

"That was _awesome_ , Tony!" Clint called out. He came bounding forward, the other Avengers following, and Tony was reminded abruptly that they'd had an audience while doing this. Clint looked pleased and almost proud, Steve looked stunned, Bruce quiet, and Natasha contemplative.

It was Loki, however, that caught Tony's gaze. As always. The mage looked... thoughtful. "It was indeed a good fight," Loki complimented him, coming to a stop near Thor's side. Green eyes ran over Tony from head to toe and back again, and then fixed on his face. "Now that you've had your spar against Thor, maybe you would concede to another? Perhaps I can offer you a true challenge."

The thought of actually sparring with Loki, of throwing themselves around the room the way that Tony and Thor had just done, of pressing themselves together and feeling all the long, lean lines of that body over his... Tony had to resist the urge to shiver. Just _thinking_ about it was almost enough to have his body reacting in a way it shouldn't. He knew without a doubt he wouldn't be able to control himself it if he actually tried.

One corner of Tony's mouth curved up into a smirk. One that hid everything that was going on underneath. "Something tells me we'd need ab it sturdier place for something like that, sweetheart."

The playful flirting tone was automatic, as was the pet name. Both of them had Loki's eyes twinkling with amusement and - was that interest? "I'm sure I could find us something suitable for _battle_."

There was a little twist on that last word, a curl of accent around it that made it sound so much dirtier than it actually was, and Tony had to swallow down the lump that built in his throat. He also had to fight to will down a few other issues. _Now is not the time!_ "Mm, tempting as that is, I'll have to take a rain check. Maybe another time, Prancer."

With one last grin and a wink, Tony vanished, unashamedly retreating before his body convinced him to do something very, very stupid.


	19. Chapter 19

Tony knew he was running away, just as he knew the others were already going to be suspicious of him for doing it. But he ran anyway, planning to use the excuse of needing a shower and a fresh change of clothes. It wasn't an actual lie. He _did_ go shower, and he _did_ change his clothes while up there, switching to a pair of comfortable jeans and a band t-shirt. If he so happened to drag those two things out, well, there was no one but JARVIS to call him on it, and JARVIS would never do that.

However, there was only so long he could conceivably take without making himself look any more suspicious than he likely already did. Eventually Tony had to get dressed and prepare himself to go down and join everyone for lunch. While sometimes he still skipped meals, they regularly liked to drag him to join them, and Tony had found himself doing it more and more.

It was as he was pulling on a fresh shirt that he felt it - the shifting of his wards.

Someone was coming into his tower.

Who it was, he had no idea, and that worried Tony as much as anything else. The way the wards had shifted to let the person in made it clear they'd been brought in with or by Loki. That meant it was someone he approved of. But a being Loki approved of didn't necessarily mean someone that Tony wanted to have in his home. The fact that he couldn't recognize them only made it worse.

Whoever this was, they were shielded from him in ways Tony couldn't break through. That fact alone was enough to send him into a panic. The only thing that kept him from summoning his daggers, or fleeing, was that he recognized something about that shielding. A little twist to things that reminded him of, well, of _Loki_. It was like him, only different. So, not only had Loki brought this person in, but he'd also shielded them?

Tony carefully tugged his shirt down to his waist, most of his focus pulled inwards, towards his seidr. "Do you know who our guest is, JARVIS?"

"No, sir," JARVIS answered. He sounded anything but pleased by it. Tower defense was something that JARVIS took quite personally. "My cameras can't seem to get an accurate read on her, except to note that she's female. Something seems to be blurring her."

So, the guest was female, and her shielding also worked to shield her from electronics. That was just _great_. Things kept getting better and better. Smothering a sigh, Tony rubbed at his face, and he tried to make himself calm down. Freaking out wasn't going to get him anywhere. The last thing he should do was charge downstairs and start demanding answers. Loki likely had a good reason for bringing whoever this was into Tony's tower.

For his sake, Tony hoped that Loki had a damn good reason, as well as an explanation for why he hadn't merely _told Tony first_.

"JARVIS, be ready," Tony warned him. As calm as he was making himself be, he wasn't going to be _stupid_. Especially since his trip to the dwarves had already shown that others recognized him. Tony needed to be ready for that.

"Always, sir."

With a deep breath, Tony teleported down to the common floor. No one there noticed when he landed, and he was more than a little thankful for that. It gave him a moment to look around and observe. Only, what Tony found wasn't at all what he'd been expecting, and it was both thrilling and terrifying. As soon as he saw who his guest was, every inch of Tony froze, and he knew his face clearly showed his shock.

Tony stared at the beautiful woman sitting beside Loki on the couch and felt his heart freeze and crack ever so slightly. _Oh. Sweet merciful Valhalla._ It was _her_. The one being he hadn't even suspected it might be, and the very one he should have _known_ it would be. She was the only one capable of shielding like Loki, and of masking herself so well from him.

Two dark black heads were close together on the couch. The woman was shorter, yet not by much, he knew. Tony stared at her as she leaned in and murmured something in Loki's ear that made the mage's magic give a happy pulse, and he gave a low response that Tony didn't hear.

He was still standing there when she threw her head back to laugh, revealing a pale face and bright green eyes, the illusion keeping half her true face hidden. However, the shift in position not only allowed Tony to see her face, but it also let her catch sight of him, and Tony couldn't move as he watched her do a double take. The instant her eyes fully landed on him, he knew. He knew she recognized him. It was written all over her.

Hel's eyes widened at the sight of Tony standing there. Shock was the first emotion, followed quickly by joy, hurt, anger, and then back to shock again. She rose slowly to her feet, and Tony could do nothing but stand there as she stared at him and breathed out the last name he wanted these people to hear. "Anto."

The sound of that name, from those lips, had Tony shuddering. It was also just enough of a jolt to his system that Tony finally found the ability to move again. He fought to try and pull a mask over his face. To smile and pretend like he wasn't completely and utterly _terrified_. "Queen Hel." To his mortification, Tony's voice cracked on her name. He knew he was giving off all sorts of signs to the others - he could vaguely see Thor and Steve near the kitchen - and Loki was no doubt going to be even more suspicious now than ever before. But Tony couldn't bring himself to care too much. Not when faced with the niece he hadn't seen in too damn long.

Loki broke the staring match between them. He'd risen as well and was standing protectively at his daughter's side. "You two have met?"

The surprise in Hel's eyes grew, quickly masked. So, she hadn't known that Tony was here, and she hadn't known about his memories being removed. Interesting. Tony made himself smile even wider. "Once, a while ago." He took a few steps forward and then very deliberately executed an elven bow. "Queen Hel, it's a pleasure to see you again."

Everything about what Tony did was a subtle cue he dearly hoped she picked up on. The elven bow, the way he shifted his arms as he did it to make himself clearly a commoner in the face of her Queenship, the twist on his words that implied the same. There was nothing about him to suggest he was anything other than an ordinary elf, clearly a traveler since he was here on earth. Nothing more.

Hel had her father's intelligence. It wasn't hard for her to catch onto what Tony was doing and to run with it. She gave a small bow of her head in acknowledgment. "A pleasure indeed, old friend."

Tony beamed up at her like there wasn't a dull blade digging deeper and deeper into his heart. "I beg pardon for interrupting you both. I felt someone enter my tower and I wasn't sure who it was." Here, he shot Loki a look, a subtle chastisement for not informing him about guests. Loki met it with a calm look of his own and an arched eyebrow. His eyes were still alight with speculation. Resisting the urge to roll his own eyes, or flinch from that look, Tony focused back on Hel. Not like that was any easier. "My apologies again, my Queen. Please, make yourself welcome in my home."

His words were clearly a retreat, and Hel reacted almost instantly. "Oh, don't let me chase you out of here - Mr. Stark, I presume? This is your home, after all, and it's quite lovely. Please, come join us." She stepped back and gestured with one hand towards the couches in open invitation.

The last thing Tony wanted was to go and sit with them and keep trying to pretend. He felt himself breaking apart inside, and he knew he needed to get the hell out of here. "While I appreciate the offer, I was really just checking in before I head down to my workshop. I've got something going there that's a bit time sensitive. Perhaps next time, Your Majesty."

Hel gave him a brief, narrow-eyed look that was blocked from the others by her hair. Her voice, however, was still kind as she said: "Yes, I believe I'd like that."

Running was starting to become more of a habit for Tony. He hated himself a little for it, but it didn't stop him from doing it. With a final bow and a smile for her and a flash of a smile for Loki, he was gone.

* * *

This was a disaster. A Norns-be-damned _disaster_! Tony stood in the center of his workshop with privacy mode fully engaged around him and indulged himself in a bit of a freak-out. The windows were blacked out, the door locked, and protective shields were over him. No one would be able to scry him here, Heimdall couldn't see him, not even Loki's rather impressive spying magics would be able to break in here. Tony was as private as he possibly could be.

It was a good thing, too, because his control was almost completely gone. Amber magic was curling around his hands where they were clenched down into the edge of a table. " _Fuck_." He hadn't prepared himself for this! What was he supposed to do? Hel was here. _Hel was here -_ and she _knew him_. Jesus _fuck_ , she knew who he was! That opened up a can of worms Tony wasn't sure he wanted to delve into.

He hadn't thought about this. Hadn't _planned_ for it. What was he going to do? _What was he going to do_?

"JARVIS," Tony tightened his hands on the table, ignoring the groaning of metal that echoed around. "Jarv, call... call Pepper."

Pepper would know what to do. In all the really shitty moments of his life here on earth, Pepper had been the one to be there for him. She'd been the one to help him get his head on straight even when she didn't know why he was so bothered. She was his best friend - one whom he'd been severely neglecting lately.

There was no answer from JARVIS. Not a verbal one, at least. He simply placed the call and then pulled up a video screen right in front of Tony.

A second later Pepper's face appeared there. She looked like she was in her office at SI, the windows showing the cityscape behind her, and there was a broad smile on her face that even lit up her eyes. "Tony!" Pure happiness was in her voice. No matter what was going on, Pepper never failed to make Tony feel loved. She always made him feel like she wanted him around - and that she wanted him around for _him_ , not for any other reason. But part of being such good friends meant that she knew him, better than most, and so she recognized instantly that something was wrong. Her smile wiped away and a furrow built between her brows. "Tony, what happened?"

"I... I..." The words wouldn't come. Tony had to close his mouth and swallow down the lump in his throat. Norns, this was _hard_! "I don't know what to do, Pep. It's so fucked right now. _Norns_ , I'm so fucked."

Pepper laid her arms on the desk, hands clasped together, and leaned her weight on them. She had her serious face on; the one she wore when she was giving a problem her undivided attention. "What happened?"

That steady calm was part of the reason why Tony had called her. Her problem-solving skills was another. More than that, though, was that Pepper _knew_. She knew the truth about Tony's past now, knew all of it, and loved him anyway. He needed that right now. "Loki brought his daughter here." The words had Tony shuddering and his magic pulsing brighter around his hands. "He brought Hel here, Pep. And she... she recognized me. She _knows_ me."

Everything about Pepper went soft. "Oh, Tony."

"What am I gonna do, Pep? I was so sure before... so sure that Odin told them all I was dead, or that he, he told them what I'd done and they wanted nothing to do with me anymore. But, the dwarves recognized me too, and now she did, and it means that that _bastard_ just, he took my memories from my brothers, that's it. He took me from them. But the others... they still remembered me, and I left them. I _left them_. I could've gone to Hel or Jor or Fen anytime since I was banished, but I _didn't_ , and she's going to hate me, Pep. She's going to _hate me_."

"Tony, Tony! Tony, listen to me, breathe, okay." Pepper's voice was firm and steady, a lifeline for Tony to grasp onto. He held tight to the sound of it and bowed his head. Even in front of Pepper, this was the most vulnerable he'd let himself be, the most open. But he had no defenses against this kind of pain. The kind that came with heavy doses of _guilt_. Tony felt it swallowing him, and he grasped even tighter to the sound of Pepper's voice to keep himself from falling into it. "Just take a few deep breaths, Tony. You're all right. She's not going to hate you, all right? If she's your niece and so clearly important to you, she has to be someone good, and someone smart. From what you've told me of Loki, he's smart too, so it makes sense his daughter would share that."

Tony swallowed heavily, nodding his head as he did. "She's smart. Smarter than both of us."

"See? If she's that smart, she's not going to hate you. She'll understand."

Would she, though? Would she understand? Would anyone understand? Tony had changed a lot of his own opinions since his banishment, but even _he_ found himself sometimes falling back into the mindset of Asgard. Then again... if there were anyone who had reason to hate Odin as much as Tony, it would be Loki's children. While they might not have been ripped away the way that Earth's legends claimed, _Loki_ had been ripped away from _them_ , barely allowed around them. Angraboda, once she revealed her true identity, had left the kids with him after claiming them _monsters_.

It'd only been because of Sigyn that the kids grew up the way they had and that they'd been able to see their father. She, Tony, and Loki had worked together to ensure that Loki got time with his kids without being caught. Tony had taken plenty of punishment for secreting Loki away, making damn sure that Odin never realized what Loki was really doing, that it always came down as something _Tony_ had done.

The kids hated Odin with a passion. But would Hel understand Tony's reasons for hating him? Would she understand Tony's side of things - why he'd been banished, why he'd run, why he'd never tried to come after them?

"I left them, Pep," Tony said softly. He closed his eyes and deliberately stretched his fingers out, uncurling them from the warped table. With effort, he managed to flatten his palms against the surface. "I just... to them, I just left, and they won't understand why."

"So why don't you try explaining it to me, _Uncle_?"

The sharp, bitter voice had Tony's head snapping up and his eyes flying open. He spun around to face the intruder that shouldn't have been able to get in here.

Hel stood on the far side of his workshop, looking _furious_ , arms crossed over her chest and a glare on her face. For the first time, he noticed that she was dressed in a simple black, floor-length dress, with thin straps just holding it up over her shoulders. Her illusion was still up, keeping the appearance of completely smooth skin and two matching green eyes, and both those eyes were sparking with temper as she glared at him.

Unbeknownst to Tony, the video call with Pepper closed behind him, Pepper discreetly hanging up. All of Tony's focus was on his niece. "How..."

"You and Dad taught me my magic," Hel pointed out sharply. "I grew up practicing against your wards. You think I haven't figured out how to get around them by now?"

She had a point. But... "Loki?"

"I told him I'd be back, that I had an important matter to attend to. What I tell him when I return is entirely up to you, _Uncle_."

The fury in her voice had Tony making a pained sound. "Helly,"

The use of that nickname was enough to break her pose. Hel dropped her arms and marched towards him. When she got close, Tony did absolutely nothing to stop her when she lifted a hand and slapped him across the face. He deserved it, he knew. He deserved that and so much more. " _How dare you_?"

The slap was the least of what he deserved. Tony said nothing; he simply stood there and let her shout at him.

"You let me think you lost to us!" Hel spat out. "I knew, I _knew_ you weren't dead, but I couldn't find you. _No one_ could find you. Fen spent a good thirty years looking for you!"

That had Tony flinching. He closed his eyes, hating the grief he saw on her face, that he heard in her words. "I'm sorry." The words weren't much. They were all he could offer, though. All he could say in the face of this.

The workshop fell quiet for a long moment. When Tony opened his eyes, he found Hel watching him cautiously. Some of the anger had faded out of her eyes. They were still narrowed, still glaring at him, only there was something more in them now. "Why doesn't Dad know who you are?"

Tony grimaced. "I... can't be sure."

He was prevaricating, and they both knew it. Hel arched one eyebrow in a look so reminiscent of Loki. "Explain. Start at the beginning."

"It's a long story, Hel," Tony said slowly, trying to give himself time. TIme to figure out what to do or what to say.

She was truly her father's daughter at that moment. Full of fury, glaring down at him with that icy temper that she'd inherited from Loki. "I've got time."

Okay. Okay. Tony drew in a breath and let it back out slowly. There was no running from this. No hiding. Hel deserved the truth. Tony rocked back a little on his heels to put distance between them, and Hel allowed it, knowing him far too well to be bothered by it. She knew his need to move when he talked. To keep himself a little distant, just in case the other person got upset at his words. He'd always made sure he had as much advantage as possible if he had to fight or run.

"I didn't just leave," Tony started out saying. He wanted to make sure she understood that right away. He hadn't just left them all for no reason. Running a hand through his hair, Tony reached out and added a bit of strength to his wards, making sure nothing slipped through for this next part. His words and her reaction weren't things that needed to be sensed by anyone else. "I didn't want to go, Helly. I..." There was no way around this. He had to say it, bluntly. "The Allfather banished me."

Hel's eyes went wide with shock. Her mouth fell open a little, and the tight cross of her arms over her chest loosened just the slightest bit. "What? _Why_?"

The fact that she didn't doubt him meant a lot to Tony. She didn't question his words, not for an instant. She just moved on to demanding why. Tony gave her a small smile and gestured vaguely with one hand. "Because I'm an idiot who doesn't think before he speaks?"

"What're you talking about?" Hel demanded.

 _No more running, Tony_ , he told himself. _She deserves the truth_. For the second time since this whole mess started, Tony found himself preparing to tell a story he didn't want to say. "There were a few things I did that made Odin unhappy. You know how our relationship was right at the end there. We fought far too often, and he wasn't all that pleased with me. I'd already made it clear one too many times that I wasn't as loyal as he wanted me to be, and that I thought he was getting too old for the throne. But, one day I... I found out some truths. Some important things that Odin didn't want anyone to know. Instead of being smart about it, I confronted him, and we argued."

He remembered that argument clearly. Their voices had echoed so loudly through the hall, it'd been a wonder no one had come running. Tony sometimes wondered what had happened to the guards who'd been outside the doors. Had Odin wiped their minds of what they'd heard? Had he killed them?

"You two argued many times in the past," Hel pointed out. "What made this one so different?"

Tony closed his eyes and let out a breath that was just a little too shaky. Memories tugged at his head; memories that were far too strong. He knew he wasn't going to be able to get away with telling Hel a half story. Not only would she not stand for that, but she also deserved better. After thinking him dead for so long, she deserved some answers, even if he couldn't give her everything. Still, he couldn't bring himself to look at her as he softly said "I found out the truth about your Dad. About his heritage."

He heard Hel suck in a surprised breath. Quiet fell over the workshop for a long beat. Tony wasn't sure for a moment if she was going to speak, or if she was going to run. He was banking a lot of this on Hel knowing the truth about what Loki was.

Then he heard her blow out a soft breath and he knew she was gathering herself enough to speak. A second later, she did. "Are you telling me that Grandfather banished you because you found out my father is a Jotun?"

"Sort of." There was more to it than that. Tony blinked open his eyes and finally made himself look over at her again. The rage on her face was no surprise. Hel looked _livid_. It was only going to get worse, Tony knew. "I confronted him with it, and we argued about a few things. But, as we were arguing, he let a few things slip and I, well, I pieced it all together." Tony huffed out a laugh that held no mirth to it. "You know how I am with puzzles. With some of the stuff he said, it wasn't hard to figure some things out. He wasn't... his reasoning behind taking Loki wasn't as altruistic as he wanted to paint it to be. He had plans. For Loki... for me. I wasn't exactly happy with those plans, and I was dumb enough to let him know that."

Hel gave a low groan and rolled her eyes. She knew Tony well enough to know just how that conversation was likely to have gone.

Fighting back his pain, Tony flashed her a grin. "Yeah. You can imagine how well he took that. Especially when I threatened to go tell Mother and everyone else what was going on. He got a little... pissed."

"And so he banished you," Hel said. The way she was looking at him made it clear she knew she wasn't getting the full story here, that he was leaving some details out – no doubt she'd noticed that Tony hadn't explained what Odin's plans for Loki were, or for him – but she also knew when it was safe to push him and when not to. It was plain to her that now wasn't the time to push him.

"Yeah," Tony said. The details of what else had happened weren't things that his niece needed to know. She didn't need to know how Odin had sewn his lips shut, or where he'd dumped Tony, or how long it had taken Tony to get free.

She stared at him with eyes that were dull with grief. Some of her anger had faded, just enough for the grief and _hurt_ to slip in. "Why didn't you come to us?" Hel asked, a hint of pain underneath her words. "We were told you were dead and forbidden to speak your name. All these years you let us think you were gone. Why didn't you come to us? Jor, Fen, me, any one of us would've helped you."

Tony licked dry lips. How could he explain it to her? How could he tell her about the fear that had live inside him, the constant 'what ifs' that played in his mind? What if they knew part of why he was banished? What if they hated him? What if _Loki_ hated him, and they told him where to find Tony? What if, by going to them, he put them in danger? Odin was angry with him, and he'd never liked or trusted Loki's kids. There was no telling how he would've reacted to Tony going to them. Likely he'd been expecting it in some ways.

Closing his eyes, Tony drew in on himself a little more. "It was safer this way."

"For who? For you? Or for us?"

"For everyone." Tony opened his eyes once more. When he looked up, he found Hel watching him with a mask firmly in place. None of her emotions showed through. Seeing it was like a physical blow; she'd never used to hide from _him_. "I'm sorry, Hel. I am. But I couldn't… I couldn't risk it. Not you guys. Not for this." _Not for me. I couldn't risk you guys just so I could have some comfort._

Again, Hel showed just how much like her father she truly was. She heard the unspoken words underneath what he'd said. Tony knew it as he saw her soften; watched the mask melt away to show the open girl he'd once known. "Oh, Uncle Ant."

The use of her old nickname for him had Tony shuddering. Though all Loki's kids used it, Hel had been the one to coin the nickname 'Uncle Ant' back when she was little. She'd loved the play on words. Ant – short for Anto, but also sounding enough like 'Aunt' that it often made her giggle. When Tony shifted shapes, she'd taken even more pleasure out of calling Tony 'Aunt Ant'.

It was that little girl that Tony saw now as he looked at her. Her anger had faded away. It left room for her grief to push to the surface. When Tony saw the tears that built in her eyes, he couldn't hold himself back. He reached out, and she reached right back for him. Tony caught hold of Hel and pulled her in for a tight hug. "I'm sorry, sweet girl. I'm so sorry."

Hel's arms were tight around Tony's neck, and she buried herself there like she was still just a little child. "I missed you."

"I missed you too, sweetheart."

For a long time, Tony just stood there and held Hel to him. Only when she had herself under control again did she pull back. She wiped at her face, unashamed of her tears. Sniffling, she looked down at him, still open. What anger she'd held towards him was gone, at least for now. "Okay," she said, dabbing under her eye with a finger. "I think I've got most of this. But I don't understand - why doesn't Dad recognize you?"

"I can't be sure," Tony admitted. He slipped an arm around her waist and brought her over to the closest couch, tugging her to sit down with him. "Neither him or Thor recognize me."

She shot him a sharp look while she settled her skirt around her and crossed her legs. Her eyes were assessing as they ran over his face. Then her eyebrows shot up with realization. "You think grandfather made them all forget."

Tony shrugged. "It's the only thing that makes sense. I thought maybe it was everyone, but I just recently went to talk with the dwarves, and some of them recognized me, and now _you_ recognized me. It makes me think it's just, just them."

"You're letting him stay, even though he doesn't remember you."

"I take it he told you about what happened?" At her nod, Tony sighed. One hand came up to rub at his face. "I couldn't just send him away. He's our best chance at stopping Thanos, and he's… I can't…"

"You want to keep him safe." Hel smiled sadly at him. "You always have."

Tony shrugged in a sort of 'what can you do' expression.

"I'm so grateful he has someone like you who loves him." Reaching out, Hel caught hold of his hand, curling hers around her. "Not even Sigyn loved him half as much as you do. He's been adrift without you there to anchor him."

The way she said it, how she looked at him, had Tony's breath catching in his throat. He couldn't speak. He wasn't sure he could _move_. Somehow, he managed to find his voice, and it was less a croak than he'd thought it would be. "He's my little brother." It was meant to be an explanation. There was a slight plea to it he couldn't quite keep out.

Hel arched one eyebrow and a corner of her mouth quirked up. "I think we both know it's more than that."

Tony jerked his hand away from hers. Panic surged through him and had him shoving up to his feet. "I don't know what you're talking about." _Norns, please, no. Not her, too._ She couldn't have figured it out. There was no way she knew! Tony found himself backing away from her.

Surprise had Hel's eyes going wide. She pushed up to her feet, only to freeze when Tony actually _flinched_ back from her. "Uncle Ant."

"You're mistaken," Tony blurted out. He backed up even more, only stopping when he ran into the table. Panic filled him and demanded he run far, far away, as fast as he possibly could. Memories of the last time he'd been found out were pushing their way up in the back of his mind. Ghost pain had him rubbing his wrists and pressing his lips together, tracing his tongue against the inside of his lips just to make sure there was no thread there.

Hel held her hands out in a gesture of peace. She took one hesitant step forward, observing him carefully as she did. "It's okay," she said, voice gentle. She took another step forward. "It's okay. The three of us have always known. We don't care, Uncle Ant. You love him. That's all that's ever mattered to us."

 _They knew._ It was all Tony could think. They knew - they'd apparently _always_ known! A tremble shook its way through Tony, fear and grief twisting around inside of him. "It's _wrong_." Tony shot back hotly, no longer needing to censor his words, not when she already knew. It was a good thing, too. He couldn't stand here in the face of her calm acceptance. He just couldn't do it. "It's a _perversion_! Bad enough that I'm _argr_ , but to… to feel like _that_? For _him_?"

Hel took another step towards him. "Is that you speaking, or someone else?"

"Like it matters!" Tony snarled out.

Hel met his eyes calmly, not flinching in the face of his fear or his rage. "Of course it does." She started to take another step forward, only to abruptly freeze. Speculation crossed her face, followed by shock. "Did Grandfather know?" she asked suddenly. Her eyes were hot and sharp as they cut over to Tony. "There was something you weren't telling me about your banishment. Was this a part of it?"

A lump built in Tony's throat. This emotional roller coaster he was on was just, it was too much. He couldn't keep up with it. "Hel."

"Don't you dare lie to me," she snapped.

How could he? Especially when he could see that she already knew the truth. It was written all over her face. Still, though he didn't understand why, Tony tried to downplay it. "It wasn't the main reason."

"But it played a part," Hel insisted.

"Yeah." Tony curled his hands into fists, trying to ignore the ghost sensation of shackles wrapped around them, trying to keep from continuing to rub against them. Hel was too sharp. Tony couldn't risk giving away even more. Still, even as he hid that, he found himself spilling words he hadn't intended on saying. "He thought I'd use Loki's parentage as a way to convince him it was okay for me to, to... that, since we weren't actually blood brothers, I'd try to pursue something. He didn't want me corrupting Loki."

"That _bastard_." The words that came out next were ones that Tony knew Sigyn had never taught her. It was an impressive stream of curses that Tony would've laughed at any other time. For now, all he could do was stare at her as she gave up being slow and careful and just strode up to him and grabbed hold of him again, pulling him in so that he was the one with his face against _her_ neck this time. Tony, weak as he was, let himself be held. "I'm so sorry, Uncle Ant. I'm so, so sorry."

"It's not your fault, sweetheart."

She drew them both back so that she could get her hands in to cup his face. "He's wrong," she told him firmly. "All of them are. There is nothing wrong with you, or with what you feel. No, no, listen to me." She stopped him from cutting her off, glaring until he went quiet. Then her expression softened again. "You're more elf than Æsir, despite what Grandfather tried for. You've spent time with them, Uncle Ant. You know how they feel. Love is love, no matter who it involves. You have a whole race of beings who would never even dream of condemning you for this. Why let the words of one small-minded man make you hate yourself so much?"

Tony shook his head. Logically, he understood her words, he _did_. But understanding the word and accepting them were two entirely different things. He couldn't... he couldn't accept that. He just _couldn't_.

As if she sensed that, Hel nodded. She looked sad, yet she didn't say anything else about it. Just a soft, "Okay" before pulling him back in.

Standing there in his workshop, Tony held on to the only family who had recognized him, a family he'd thought was lost to him, and he drew in the warmth and love from having her back in his life again. The rest of it, he'd figure out how to deal with it all later. For now, he just held on to her and basked in the warmth of her love and her acceptance. Something that he'd been sorely lacking for a long, long time.


	20. Chapter 20

Avoiding Loki after Hel's visit proved pretty easy. Mostly because Tony locked himself in his workshop and activated all wards to keep almost everyone out. If there were an emergency, JARVIS would've let him know. That was why Tony didn't worry at all about locking out everyone except Fizik and sequestering himself away to work on his long list of projects that needed to be done.

Fizik had no issue whatsoever working side by side with Tony without saying a word. When Tony needed quiet, the dwarf worked silently with him, cleaning up after him and assisting him in any way that Tony needed. He took it upon himself to go and get food, too, when it was clear that Tony wasn't planning on leaving after that first day.

Thanks to JARVIS, Fizik didn't have to go near the others to get Tony food. All he had to do was go up to the penthouse floor and get some things out of Tony's kitchen, which JARVIS made sure was kept stocked for him. No one else was allowed on Tony's private floor, so there was no one to disturb him as he made Tony food and brought it back down.

Fizik stayed by Tony's side the entire time he was working. He was there to help him, to steady his hand when he needed, and he watched with awe at the amazing things that came to life under Tony's frantic hands. Bit by bit Tony worked his way down his list of items that needed to be made for his team. Magical protections, weapons, things of the like that would help keep them safe. New arrows were made for Clint that he put as much magic into as he could, making them capable of shooting through most magical shields, and even of piercing through armor. Extra strong Widow Bites for Natasha that she could up the voltage enough to hopefully take out an Æsir.

Thor was as protected as he could be. There was nothing really that Tony could do. Especially not when he'd sensed that Loki had already added magical protections to their older brother, and Loki had always been a damn sight better at those subtle magics for _people_. Tony was great at putting his magic into items - Loki had always excelled at the magic that involved people.

Tony made a mental note to ask Loki to help him place some protection charms on the teams' uniforms.

For Bruce, it was ridiculously easy to magic a pair of pants that would stretch with him when he Hulked out, and shrink back down with him afterward. However, because Tony was a perfectionist and he needed a distraction, he had to make a pair without magic as well. He had to prove to Fizik that science was awesome!

It was for Loki that he worked on an item the longest, though. Or, _items_.

Much to Fizik's stunned surprise, Tony pulled out a bit of Uru from a secret vault in his workshop. "Where did you get that?" Fizik asked in shocked amazement.

Tony flashed him a grin that was still just a bit manic around the edges. "Oh, Fizzy Pop. You forget how long I've been alive. I've always been a businessman, even before I came to Midgard. I've made a few deals over the years, got myself a few things." He patted a hand on his prize. "This is nothing. Wait till we head out to Malibu. I've just about got enough there to start a _real_ suit."

"What're you using this one for, then, Master Anto?"

Because they were alone in the workshop, Tony didn't stop Fizik from using that name. Nor did he worry about censoring himself as he answered. "I wasn't the only one in the family with an affinity for daggers. Mother taught both Loki and me, and he always excelled at it." A hint of a fond smile ghosted over Tony's lips. "He's better than I am, really."

The memories that brought up were almost enough to break Tony's focus. He shook his head to clear them back out and turned his attention back to his project.

What he wanted to make for Loki was a pair of daggers. Not quite like Tony's - those had taken a lot out of Tony to make, and they were the kind of power that he wouldn't trust to just anyone. Not even himself, some days. But he could make Loki a pair of wonderfully crafted, perfectly balanced, and expertly charmed daggers.

Tony turned his focus to his project and shoved back everything else. All the things that had been dug up while talking to Hel, all the terrors that lurked in the back of his mind, all the little things that he'd refused to tell her. He pushed those down and turned his focus to the metal that was coming to life beneath his tools.

* * *

By the time Tony's body finally had enough, he had no idea just how long he'd been down there. He wasn't aware of much, really. Only that Fizik was steering him somewhere, and JARVIS was talking to them, and then Tony was being lowered down to something soft. His shoes were pulled off, pants as well, and a blanket brought up over him. That was the last thing Tony's conscious mind registered. Sleep claimed him afterward and dragged him down under.

* * *

Sheer exhaustion allowed Tony to sleep for almost twelve hours straight without any trouble. He got up long enough to go to the bathroom, and then climbed straight back into bed and went right back to sleep.

Unfortunately, his mind and body were no longer as exhausted as they had been, and that meant that the nightmares he'd managed to keep at bay so far had nothing stopping them from slipping in. Just three hours after he laid back down, Tony was shooting back up, terror like a vice around his chest and his whole body trembling.

Whereas once, Tony would've tried to deal with this on his own, just JARVIS here with him, things had changed. Tony may have hated it sometimes, been terrified by it, but he had people he could call on now. People who had so far proved that they weren't going to turn around and rat him out. He had a support system here, and his frantic mind didn't hesitate to latch onto that.

Tony scrambled out of bed, not caring that he was in boxers and a t-shirt. He grabbed his comforter and wrapped it tightly around himself while he stumbled over towards the elevator.

The doors opened without a word, and Tony silently blessed JARVIS. He didn't have the words to say it as he hurried into the elevator. Still, once inside, he turned himself enough to press his cheek against the metal, shivering from the cold yet still giving the small gesture. Whisper soft, JARVIS gave a low "Thank you, sir."

Tony felt the presence of the others just ahead. All of them were together. That was almost enough to make Tony back up; maybe order JARVIS to take him back upstairs. The shivers that shook him were enough to keep him on his current path. He hated the idea of the others seeing him like this, but the alternative is going back up to his room, alone, and Tony just couldn't do that. Not right now. He hated himself for it – one day, they were all going to be gone, and he was going to have to deal with this _alone_ again – but right now he actually had people who at least pretended to care, and he _needed_ that so desperately.

When the elevator doors opened no one really seemed to pay any attention at first, for which Tony was grateful. Clint and Natasha both looked, too trained to ignore someone coming in, and Loki glanced his way, but no one else did. Tony was grateful for that. He and Clint caught eyes and Clint's eyes went to the elevator and then back to Tony, one eyebrow arching in a silent question. _Do we need to leave_? He was offering Tony privacy.

It was tempting to say yes. To leave with Clint and go hide out somewhere. But… but he didn't need to talk this time. Not like last time. He needed something different.

Tony pasted on his best publicity smile and strolled as casually as he could into the room. "You guys having a party in here without me? Rude."

Everyone looked up then, and most of them smiled. Tony ignored the way that Loki's eyes followed him; he'd seen Tony as the elevator doors opened and before his mask had been slipped into place.

Natasha, bless her heart, didn't show anything in her expression as she snorted at him. "We still need to talk about your definition of a party."

"We're being lazy," Clint told him, leaning back on his spot on the couch and conveniently opening up a spot between him and Natasha that would be perfect for Tony to fit into. "If you feed us, I might be persuaded to put a movie on."

This time it was Tony who was snorting. "My tower, Bird-Boy. I do what I want." Without any preamble, Tony moved over to the couch like it was the most natural thing in the world and dropped himself, blanket and all, in the space that Clint opened up. The blanket made it a bit awkward, especially since Tony refused to let go of it in any way. It worked out, though. It gave Tony a good reason to squirm around and drape himself all over Clint in a way that wouldn't arouse suspicion and would only make the others laugh, which was exactly what it did. Tony ignored the laughter and tilted his head from where it had landed at Clint's side so that he could grin up at him. " _You_ should be entertaining _me_."

Clint laughed as he mock-shoved at Tony. That little shove worked to shift the both of them into a much more comfortable position. Clint's body was turned enough that his back was more towards the armrest, and he kicked his feet up on the coffee table, allowing Tony to lean back into the little dip he created. It put Tony's head resting against Clint's shoulder while Tony's legs were curled up in the middle seat, feet tucked down near Natasha.

"Needy, needy, needy," Clint grumbled at him jokingly. "JARVIS, you wanna put a movie on so His Highness is entertained?"

There was no hiding the way Tony's whole body jerked at that title. Even jokingly given, the use of it right now was enough to cause him to react. It'd been a long fucking time since anyone had called him that. Tony tried to cover it up quickly by falling back on humor, the same way he always did. "Damn right. Put on something good, J, and ignore these peons. It's officially movie night. Or is it day?" He shrugged before anyone could answer him. "I don't care. Order up some food, too. Thai, I'm thinking. I'm in the mood for Thai. The spicier, the better. Anyone else want some?"

"That actually sounds really good," Steve said.

Soon enough they had their orders placed, and the others had been notified about the impromptu movie night. Tony kept firmly tucked in against Clint while the room filled up and everyone got settled in their seats. There was a debate about what movie they were going to watch, of course, no matter that Tony had told JARVIS to just put something on, and talk about drinks and debates over seating. Tony didn't mind so much. Not with the heat of Clint's body seeping into him and the noise of people around him.

Clint's arm shifted to curl around Tony's waist and haul him in just a bit closer. His hand settled on Tony's hip. A second later, he was tapping there in a surprisingly rhythmic way. Tony focused on it, feeling the pattern, and realized it was Morse code that Clint was tapping in. Once he caught that, he paid enough attention to recognized what was being sent to him. 'U O K'

Smiling, Tony curled himself in a bit more. He didn't have a way to tap an answer back so he just pressed himself against Clint and gave a small shiver, hoping that his message would be understood.

It was. Not just by Clint, either, but Natasha as well. Tony found himself being manhandled a moment later by Natasha, who was pushing him to curl up against Clint a little more while she plastered herself against them both. They somehow turned into a puppy pile of cuddling that managed to take up only half the couch. She had even grabbed his blanket and lifted it enough for her to slide under so that their bodies were now pressing together. His minimal clothes didn't seem to faze her at all. She just curled up with him and fixed the blanket over them. As soon as it was settled to her satisfaction, she wrapped her arm around Tony and held him a little closer. "I vote Lord of the Rings," she said loudly enough to interrupt the current debate.

Clint let out a low "Oooooh" and pumped a fist in the air. "Yes! We've got three of you to introduce to the awesomeness that is Tolkien."

The addition of Natasha to their cuddle pile drew a few curious looks. However, they were all too afraid of Natasha to say much. Tony smothered a smile and sighed happily as he soaked up the touch of his friends. It felt good with these two around him, Thor and Steve off to the left on a couch, Loki and Bruce in their chairs nearby, and Fizik was even with them, seated in a defensive position in front of their couch.

"Works for me," Bruce said easily, smiling.

That settled it. JARVIS dimmed the lights and brought the TV screen down. Tony breathed out a happy sigh of relief as the movie started to play.

* * *

The movie marathon was just what Tony needed. By the time they finished Fellowship of the Ring, he was feeling a whole lot more like himself. Enough that he was able to summon up some lounge pants underneath the blanket. Once he did, he pulled the blanket away a little and moved into a more relaxed position. Natasha took the hint and sat up as well. Tony didn't move away from Clint, though, and Clint didn't even try to make him.

Food had long since been delivered and dispensed. Tony couldn't deny just how pleased he'd been when Fizik had brought his food over for him, and Clint had simply taken it and actually fed Tony like he was a kid so that he wouldn't have to stop being a blanket burrito.

They were halfway through the second movie - and watching Thor and Loki get so into it was something Tony was going to remember, always, and tease them for mercilessly later - when the call to Assemble rang out through the Tower.

Everyone was up on their feet in an instant. Tony shoved to his feet and was already moving to toss his blanket aside while keeping his focus on the TV. "What've we got, J?"

"It appears that Amora is attacking in the park three blocks down, sir," JARVIS answered him. The TV image switched over to a shaky camera that showed just what JARVIS said: Amora was attacking, flinging magic and laughing while building bits fell and people ran screaming. There were innocent people there. Civilians, trying to get away from her, only for her to bring them back in with another laugh.

This wasn't a fight. This was a deliberate taunt against them. Amora was trying to draw them out. For what purpose, Tony didn't know. But Amora _wanted_ them there.

"We need to get down there," Steve said, his 'Captain America' voice out in full force. "Everybody, suit up. Loki, can you take anyone with you if you teleport down there? We need to get on scene as quickly as possible."

Loki's eyes slanted Tony's direction, and Tony could see that his brother was thinking along the same lines that he was. "I can," Loki said slowly. "But, Captain, perhaps we should take a moment to think about our actions."

The look Steve shot Loki was incredulous. "What do you mean?"

"To what purpose is Amora doing this?" Loki asked immediately. He spread his hands out, palms up, as he addressed not only Steve but the rest of the room as well. "There is nothing here in New York for her. No magical artifact that will help further the Mad Titan's goal. She possesses nothing herself that we know of, and if she does, it makes her only more dangerous. Even were she to possess something of strength, simply rushing out there on our part is likely to end only with us injured."

Tony could see the protest already starting to build on Steve's lips. Unable to help himself, Tony took a step and moved up to Loki's side, adding his own words to his brother's. "He's got a point, Steve. No, no, hear me out." Tony held up a hand to stop the protest he saw already building on Steve's lips. "As much as I hate her, even I'll admit that Amora has power. More now that she's under _his_ control. She may be a giant, raging bitch, but she's also smart, and the Mad Titan is smarter. There's some purpose to what she's doing right now, even if we can't see it yet."

"So you're suggesting we just let innocent civilians be hurt while we try and talk and figure something out?" The way that Steve said that, the disgust laced heavily through each word, made it clear how he felt about that. Even if it hadn't, he was already shaking his head. "No. These people need our help, and we can't stand by and let them be hurt when there's something we can do to stop it. Now, we're going down there with or without you two. If you're coming with us, gear up."

It took a lot for Tony not to openly roll his eyes when Steve turned and hurried away to get ready. Tony didn't have to move; he knew JARVIS would be prepping the suit for him.

He caught Loki's eye and saw the other mage was just as frustrated as he was. "As pointless as this attack may appear, there is something more at play here," Loki murmured, "there is some purpose here. One which we are as yet unaware of."

Tony sighed and nodded his head. "Yeah. Yeah, there is."

"And yet still we go?"

"Someone's got to keep them all safe from their own self-righteousness," Tony said, giving Loki a crooked grin. Reaching out, he clapped a hand on Loki's shoulder. "Come on, Rudolph. Let's go see what kind of games the other reindeer want to play."

* * *

They were close enough to Amora's attack that it took them only moments to get down there, even with the conversation they'd tried to have. Loki teleported himself, Steve, Natasha, and Clint down there, while Thor and Tony took to the sky. Bruce was waiting in the wings, ready to step in as the Hulk if it proved absolutely necessary, but keeping back for now out of fear that the Hulk might cause more damage than Amora was.

The bad feeling that Tony had about this whole fight only grew when they got there, and Amora looked up and _beamed_ at the sight of them. It was _never_ a good sign to have your enemy look so happy to see you.

The plan was supposed to be to stop Amora, minimalize any damages, keep civilians safe, and try to capture her somehow. So far, Tony hadn't come up with anything to be able to trap Amora like he'd said he would. At least, not without risking SHIELD looking at it and trying to find a way to turn it back against him.

Steve would still try and find a way to knock her out and take her alive, Tony knew. That was just the type of person that he was. But... well, if Tony happened to _slip_ a little during the battle, they'd never be able to prove it wasn't an accident.

The fact that he was thinking about murder so casually had Tony hating himself just a little bit.

"All right, Avengers," Steve said, his voice firm in all their ears. "Let's show her what we've got. Hawkeye..."

There was no time for Steve to lay out whatever plan he'd come up with. Amora was still grinning at them, and her grin was focused right on Tony. She watched him as he came in for a landing. "Stark!" Her happy cry silenced Steve's words. The whole team went on edge, waiting as Amora turned towards them.

The fact that she ignored Thor, who was glaring and gripping his hammer tight, only made Tony's worry grow. Thanos had to have her deep in his thrall if she didn't even react to the sight of Thor. The woman's obsession with him was the stuff of nightmares.

"I was hoping you'd show up," Amora continued. She turned completely from the wreckage she'd caused, the bodies that lay on the ground, and put her hands on her hips as she focused entirely on Tony. "You're a hard man to pin down, Mr. Stark." A pout pushed out her bottom lip. "What's a girl gotta do to get your attention?"

Tony took a step forward, moving around Thor. He ignored Steve's demand to know what he was doing, as well as Loki's low warning hiss. "Aw, Amora. If you wanted my attention, all you had to do was ask! I mean," Tony lifted one hand and spread it out to indicate the wreckage around them. "This? Talk about overkill, sweetheart."

"Yes, well, it got your attention, didn't it? Though, I wish you hadn't felt the need to bring your friends."

"As if you didn't bring yours," Tony pointed out.

A crazy smile lit up Amora's face and wiped away her pout. It made her bright blue eyes stand out even more. They were lit with the power of magic - the magic of someone far, far older and more dangerous than her. It made Tony wonder, though... just how much of Amora was left? And of what was left... how much of it was sane? "I never could slip things past you, _sweetheart._ " she purred.

That was the only warning that they got before Amora flung up her hands and green power grew around them.

Tony watched in horror as the civilians that had been knocked unconscious, and the ones who were still trying to flee were suddenly grabbed by green/blue power. His shock grew as he realized what she was doing. "Oh, fuck."

"Indeed," Loki answered, voice tight.

"What's going on?" Steve asked them, shifting his body down into a defensive crouch while he held his shield at the ready.

They didn't have to answer, though. Amora did it for them. She flung her hands out to either side, and the power around all the civilians flared and then faded until only their eyes were glowing with a bright bluish-green light. Tony watched as Amora dropped her hands and the people all straightened up to stand on their own, their eyes bright and expressions blank. With that one flare of power, they were fully under Amora's control.

To do something like this, take control of them this way, was forbidden. This was the darkest of magics. Amora had completely taken over their minds.

The thrall that Thanos and the mind stone did was the more insidious kind; it got into your brain and twisted your every thought, making what the one in charge wanted seem like the most important thing in the world. The control that Amora was employing here was a complete takeover of the person she was using. There was nothing of that person in charge right now. They were marionettes; dolls, capable of following simple commands and nothing more.

"Stop them!" Amora told her puppets, and every one of them turned towards the Avengers and started towards them.

It was an effective move. The Avengers were going to be hindered by not wanting to hurt innocent people. They'd want to protect them, and that meant that they were going to have to be careful about how to try and stop them.

To make it even worse, Skurge came forward, axe in hand, and grinned before he started to follow the puppets, running straight towards the Avengers.

"Shit," Tony kicked his repulsors and pushed himself up off the ground, away from people. "Thor, Cap, without Hulk here, we need you two on Skurge. Everyone else can take care of the puppets. Lokes, try and keep them from getting too hurt, would you?"

If anyone thought it was strange that Tony was handing out orders, they chose not to mention it. Though Steve's tone as he said "He's right," made it clear they'd likely be talking about it later. "Widow, Hawkeye, we need you guys to try and keep these people distracted."

Tony tuned them all out after that. All his focus was on Amora as he flew up into the sky and over the people. He didn't go down towards her; not yet. That was what she wanted, after all, and Tony wasn't looking to just slip down into a trap.

Luckily, he had the suit, and that meant that Tony didn't have to get anywhere close to her to attack. "Right, J. We got the anti-magic ammo loaded up in here?" Tony asked, hovering up above Amora. She was watching him with a faint hint of a smile, head tilted and expression curious.

"It's ready, sir," JARVIS answered.

"All right. Let's do this, then."

With a deep breath, Tony powered up the small missiles in his shoulders, the ones that now had enough magic in them that they should break through most shields she'd put up, and he sent them flying.

It was clear Amora thought her shield should be enough to stop them. She didn't even put much effort into it, either, which meant that the little missiles tore through it like wet tissue paper. The resulting blast was enough to send Amora flying backward.

Tony didn't waste any time waiting for her to get up or anything like that. He went flying towards her, already sending a repulsor blast her way. He had to dodge to get away from the ball of magic she sent up. More missiles were fired, which she blocked more efficiently this time, but he followed it quickly with a few repulsor blasts that she had to leap backward from to avoid.

It drew her further and further away from the others, which was exactly what Tony wanted. He wanted her away from the civilians and from his friends.

Someone was shouting something through the com unit. Tony grunted as he just barely dodged another magic wave. "You guys mind _not_ screaming in my ear," he growled out at his friends. He dodged another blast and countered with a few blasts of his own. Tony wasn't holding back; he was going to take Amora out one way or another. He wasn't going to give her time to talk or time to try and weasel her way out of this. He wasn't playing nice. Not anymore. "I'm a little bit busy right now!"

"What're you doing, Stark?" Steve snapped at him. There was a grunt from his side and then a huff of exhausted breath. That exhaustion didn't show in his words, though. Only temper did. "We're supposed to be a team. We need to regroup and figure out what to do. Taking care of the civilians should be our first...!"

Steve was abruptly cut off, his words shifting into a pained sort of _gurgle_ that had Tony immediately twisting his way. He knew that kind of sound. It wasn't the first time Tony had heard it, though he could've lived the rest of this life without ever hearing it again.

The others were swearing softly, and it only took Tony a second to see why. When his eyes landed on Steve, every inch of Tony went still and cold, almost getting him caught by another blow from Amora's magic. JARVIS taking control of the suit briefly was the only thing that saved Tony.

There on the ground, just a few blocks away, lay Steve. He was flat on his back with Skurge over him - and a sword buried in his gut.

The sword pulled free, and Steve made another of those gurgling sounds.

It was enough to snap Tony right back into action. He smoothly took control back form JARVIS and sent every bullet, every missile, everything his suit had towards her, not even bothering to stick around and watch what it did. He was already heading off in Steve's direction.

When he got close, Tony drew up and fired a repulsor blast, backing it with enough magic that it actually lifted Skurge up and knocked him back and _through_ a nearby building. Before he'd even landed, Tony was moving, issuing orders as he went in a tone of voice he hadn't used since his days as General. "Widow, thirty feet to your right, we've got incoming. Don't let them get any closer. Hawkeye, keep a watch on her. Thor, Loki, with me. I need shelter now."

No one hesitated to answer the command in Tony's tone. They all snapped to, following his directions instantly in a way that had once been the norm for Tony. In this mindset, Tony didn't even think to question whether they'd answer him. He was already moving, fully expecting Thor and Loki to fall in with him.

When they reached Steve, one look was all it took to tell Tony that this was as bad as he'd feared. _Goddammit_. Skurge had pulled the sword out before Tony had blasted him, meaning that the wound was bleeding freely.

Tony landed his suit right by Steve's side and immediately lowered down to his knees. "Cover me," he snapped to the other two. Then he was pulling the gauntlets off and reaching out to Steve with his bare hands. It'd been a long time since Tony had needed to call up this kind of magic on a battlefield. Weak as the Asgardians had considered magic, they'd never hesitated to make use of Tony's healing skills out in the field, and Tony had trained this part of himself just for this purpose.

Amber magic curled out of Tony's hands and down towards the body lying below him. He pushed it forward and let it brush over Steve's wound. The super soldier had a hell of a healing factor of his own, but even he might've managed to be taken down by being fucking _stabbed through the stomach_ by a blade as big as the sword that Skurge apparently carried now - and where the hell had he gotten that instead of the axe he usually used?

There was no way Tony was going to let that happen, though. They weren't losing Steve. Not today!

Tony let his magic bleed through Steve's stomach, chanting lightly under his breath as he did. It took a lot of focus to work a healing like this. When Loki shifted back towards him a little, Tony felt the bit of magic bleed over from his brother, assisting him and helping Tony give his spell that final _push_ that healed the worst of the damage.

Tony finally drew his magic back. It wasn't perfect - Steve wasn't completely healed. He was, however, definitely going to survive. Tony grinned behind his mask when he saw Steve open his eyes, blinking sluggishly against the light above him. With one hand Tony reached out and clapped the Captain's shoulder. "On your feet, soldier. We've still got a battle on."

To his credit, Steve only looked confused for a moment, one hand coming to lightly press over where the wound had been. However, he recovered quickly and reached out, accepting the hand Tony offered him and allowing the mage to pull him up to his feet.

As soon as Steve was on his feet, and steady, Tony brought his gauntlets back over his hands and powered up his repulsors. "Right. Okay, boys and girls, I think playtime is over, don't you?"

"I'm ready for snacks and naptime," Clint chimed in.

A chuckle slid free from Tony. "You and me both, Birdie. So, here's the plan." The repulsors in his boots kicked on, and Tony shot up into the sky, hands out to stabilize him. "I'm tired of playing. Thor, Cap, I want you two back on Skurge. Even with you injured, Cap, you're the only two right now with the brute strength to go up against him. Widow, a block to your right are more of Amora's enchanted people. I want you and Hawkeye to try and round them up, get them a little bit away from her. With a fight like this, distance is going to make a difference. I'm estimating about four blocks, and you should be able to break the spell on them."

"Five," Loki interjected. "With the power the Mad Titan grants her, I would go with five, perhaps even six."

That was a good point. Tony gave a nod while he dodged around a building and twisted back towards the path he wanted. "Point. Get them away as best as you can. That leaves you with me, Merlin. You and I are gonna go have us some fun. You up for it?"

There was no denying the dark pleasure in Loki's voice when he practically purred out the words "Oh, yes."

"Then let's end this. I'm coming in hot from the top, you circle round the side. Let's show this bitch what happens when you mess with Midgard."

It felt so damn good to come in at Amora from the top and attack again. With Loki there with him, sending his own, and neither of them holding back, they had a much better chance of taking her down.

Unfortunately, she seemed to be done with games, too. The magical attacks she was sending their way weren't friendly or restrained in any way. With the power that Thanos was pushing into her, and the connection between the two of them, it made her a formidable enemy. Tony had to fight hard, and even then, he took a few blows that the suit barely helped deflect.

There was no telling how long they might've continued on that way, none of them gaining the advantage, if Loki hadn't been just a hair too slow in his dodge.

Amora had sent magic at him like a knife, and Loki didn't quite make it out of the way. A slice appeared along his arm, causing him to stumble even as he started to bleed, and allowing her next blow to knock him back hard enough that he went rolling for a few feet before he came to a stop.

Fury filled Tony. Bad enough that Amora had harmed Steve - harmed Tony's _team_. Now she'd hurt his brother. Tony glared at her, and his voice became low and dangerous. "You made a big mistake, Amora. I warned you last time not to mess with my stuff."

Amora's own voice shifted, deepened, and Tony knew it wasn't her looking back at him anymore. "Nor should you mess with mine."

A swell of power rose up in Amora's body that was far stronger than anything she possessed, or should have even been able to handle - and it was all pointed right at Loki.

There was only a split second for Tony to make his decision and start moving. Not that he really needed to think about it at all. As soon as he saw what she was doing, he began flying, racing towards his brother.

Tony knew he wasn't going to make it. There wasn't going to be enough time for him to fly Loki out of the way, and his brother was still straightening up from the ground. He wouldn't be able to get up in time. There was only one option, and Tony mentally apologized even as he gathered himself and teleported directly between Loki and Amora.

There was only enough time for Tony to register the horror in Loki's green eyes, the way his mouth shifted as if to form a protest, and then the magic struck, and Tony couldn't think of _anything_ anymore. Pain tore through him like an electric blast, ripping apart his insides even as it wrapped around his outsides.

Someone was screaming. Him, Loki, someone else - Tony wasn't sure. He heard it echoing in his ears, broken only by the sound of laughter, high and clearly insane.

The suit gave way around Tony, and he felt his body get lifted up out of it. This time the shout he heard was clearly Loki - a pained " _Anthony_!"

The spell was holding Tony tight, binding his magic inside of him, and he couldn't think past the pain to even begin to try and fight it.

Then, it was too late.

Amora's hand curved over Tony's face, and her eyes were the only thing he could see, bright with madness and power. "You're mine, now, little one."


	21. Chapter 21

The whole tower was in an uproar. Everyone seemed to be running around, all of them talking at the same time, and yet none of them were accomplishing anything. They were all panicking over the loss of their teammate, and yet nothing was getting done. Loki stood on the side of the room and seethed as he watched these mortals squawk without ever one truly saying anything important.

What did their petty little words matter right now? Did they not understand the true importance of this? Anthony was _gone_. Amora - _Thanos_ \- had taken him. Every moment they spent fighting here was another moment that they left their teammate in her hands.

That moment kept playing over and over in Loki's mind. He hadn't realized at first what was going on. He'd been too busy picking himself up, pushing off the ground and trying to ignore the pain, to understand what was going on. Then he just so happened to look at just the right time, and he'd seen the spell coming his way. Seen Anthony flying. And he knew - there was no way they'd be able to stop it in time.

Then... then Anthony had been right there, and the spell had hit him, and Loki's seidr had screamed right along with the elf. It'd screamed as Anthony's whole body bowed backward and the power lifted him high up in the air.

When the suit had peeled apart and dropped to the ground, leaving Anthony floating and twisting in the air above them, Loki hadn't been able to stop his own screams. He'd pushed up faster, trying to go, trying to get to him, but he hadn't been fast enough.

None of them had.

Loki knew it was an image that would haunt him for many years to come. The elf that had taken them all in, given them a home, safety, _family -_ who had been through _so much_ already and yet had still brought them all in - snatched away from them before they could do anything to stop it.

Loki curled his hands in tight and fought to try and keep them steady. His seidr was lashing out wildly inside of him, aching to be set free. It wanted to _go_ , to hunt through this pathetic realm until it finally found Anthony and brought him back here where he belonged. Back with _Loki_. It ached to find him and rescue him from whatever was happening to him right now.

"Brother," Thor's warm, cautious voice broke into Loki's rage-filled thoughts. His eyes snapped up to his big brother. Loki didn't realize that they were going with the barely leashed power inside of him. Thor didn't flinch from it. He simply placed himself in front of Loki, between him and the rest of the suddenly silent room, and reached both hands out to clasp Loki's shoulders. For once, Loki allowed it, simply staring back at him. "We will find him," Thor promised.

Loki didn't try and break free, far too grateful for the grounding touch, but that didn't stop him from glaring at Thor. "How?" His voice was sharp and echoed through the room like the crack of a whip. "How will we find him? Amora is under the control of the Mad Titan. She has his power to help shield her."

A small smile touched Thor's lips. "And we have you."

"Me?" Loki let out a startled, incredulous laugh. "You think _my_ power stands any chance against his? While your faith is touching, it is also stupid. I stand no match against him, brother. As my own imprisonment proved."

The fact that Loki used the word 'brother' didn't go unnoticed by either of them. Though Thor lit up at it, he didn't focus on it. Not now. For now, he kept his focus right on Loki. "None of us would stand a chance against the Titan on our own, and I would never suggest that, brother. That was not what I meant." One of Thor's hands came off of Loki's shoulder and moved down to press flat over his heart. "You've worked magic with him before. He has been inside your mind. You once told me there is no magic more intimate than that. If any might stand the chance of seeking him out, it would be you. I would put my faith in you against him any time."

Inside, Loki's seidr was practically screaming out its agreement. It was demanding to be set free to hunt for the one they'd lost.

Thor's words had merit. With the way that Anthony and Loki had meshed in the past when their seidr touched, there was an excellent chance that they'd be attuned to one another enough for Loki to be able to at least attempt spells to help them find him. Of course, Amora would have protections up, and no doubt the Mad Titan had provided more. But... Anthony was tricky. He wouldn't take whatever they did to him lying down. He would fight back, constantly, and he would do everything in his power to break free. That might be enough to weaken the wards and allow Loki a chance at a glimpse.

And if they so happened to actually break him before Loki and the others found him, well... Anthony had set Loki free once. Loki would happily return the favor.

Determination filled Loki and only added to the glow of seidr in his eyes. "I need quiet, calm, and a place in which to meditate that is connected closely to Anthony. Somewhere that is more his essence than anywhere else."

"Either his bedroom or his workshop, Master Liesmith," JARVIS said instantly. "Might I recommend the workshop. Sir has practiced magic down there quite often, so it should carry the clearest traces of his power."

A bright smile lit Loki's face. "JARVIS, you are a credit to your father."

There was stunned pleasure in JARVIS's voice as he said: "Thank you, Master Liesmith."

Loki didn't waste time with any of the others in the room. He didn't bother to tell them what he was doing, or try and find out what they were doing. He didn't even look their way. Instead, he reached a hand up, curling it around Thor's wrist - his brother recognized the gesture and immediately planted his feet, bracing - and then Loki teleported them away.

It left the rest of the Avengers standing there staring at the empty space the others had just been in. Steve was the one to recover first. He shook his head and then straightened himself back up. "Let's leave the magic part of things to them," he said firmly. "While they do that, the rest of us can focus on what needs doing next. JARVIS, had Tony figured out any possible places that Amora might be hiding...?"

* * *

Anthony's workshop definitely carried a strong feel of the elf to it. His seidr had touched everything here. That would make it much easier for Loki to catch it enough to try and hunt it down.

Though Thor clearly didn't understand what it was he was asking Loki to do, it didn't mean that he was _wrong_ in his suggestion. Anthony and Loki had worked together closely a few times since their first meeting. Anthony had been inside of Loki's mind and helped remove the Mad Titan's control, and he'd clasped magical hands with Loki more than once to share power with him. Something like that shouldn't be possible for two people who didn't know one another deeply and intimately.

For them to be able to work like that, there had to be some sort of connection. Loki had puzzled about that right from the start. He didn't sense anything, and yet, it was as if his seidr _did_.

The way that it was still panicking now only backed up that theory.

What Loki was going to do now was meditate and reach down into himself and see if he could find some sort of connection between him and Anthony. Something that allowed their magic to work together so easily. If he could find that, he'd be much more successful in any attempt at trying to magically track their missing host.

If he was going to attempt this anywhere, this workshop seemed to be the best place for it. Loki had only been in here a few times so far, yet he felt comfortable each time he'd come in. There was something about this space that just made him feel relaxed. Made him feel... safe. Not to mention how amazingly shielded the whole place was. It was the perfect place for him to attempt any sort of magic, really.

As soon as Loki and Thor landed there, Loki let go of his brother and turned around, eyes running around the room until he found what it was he needed. An open, clear space for him to sit, somewhere that he'd be able to reach out and touch the traces of seidr that were still in the air. As soon as he found what he was looking for, Loki gave a small nod and made his way over there.

"I need you to make sure I am not disturbed," Loki called over his shoulder as he moved. "I am going to meditate, and I will not be fully aware of my surroundings. I will, however, react defensively if someone attempts to touch me."

"I will guard your back, brother." As if to prove his willingness, Thor lifted Mjolnir from her strap at his waist and held her firmly in his hand. "None shall get close to you."

Loki nodded his head. He knew Thor would keep him safe. Despite everything between them, his oaf of a brother had always been true to his word, and he'd always been one that Loki could count on if he pinned him down for something. While Thor might not understand what it was that Loki was doing, he understood that he needed to keep his brother safe, and for him, that had always been enough. He would keep Loki safe no matter what came their way.

He was surprised when JARVIS chimed in, adding: "I will keep watch as well, Master Liesmith. None will make it to this level while you are working."

That meant almost as much as having Thor guard him, if not more. Thor would protect Loki physically. JARVIS, however, could keep anyone from even reaching them. "Thank you, JARVIS."

With the knowledge that he was as protected as he could be, Loki went to the spot he'd chosen and sank gracefully down to the ground. This was likely going to take quite a while; he was going to need to be comfortable for it.

Meditation was something that Loki had learned at a very young age. It was crucial in helping a burgeoning mage find their calm and their center. He knew how to calm himself; how to relax his body from his toes to the tip of his head. He knew how to regulate his breathing and let go of the tensions inside of him until he found the kind of calm a good meditation could bring.

Today, he was going to go far deeper than that. He was going to go deeper than he had in hundreds of years. Not since long before Thanos and his intrusion. While Loki might've meditated, he hadn't delved in deep, seeking out his Center. There'd been no need. He'd kept it well protected and hidden just as he'd been taught to do.

But today that was exactly where he needed to go. If he wanted to see if there were some deep-rooted connection between him and Anthony, than Loki would need to be able to look at his very Center, the place where his seidr was anchored to him.

Loki closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and trusted his body over to his brother while his mind dove deep inside with each breath he took.

He called up the image of the eagle in his mind – one of his favorite forms to take. It was easy for him to focus on that. _Inhale_ , the feel of his muscles stretching, his wings out on either side of him. _Exhale_ , wind blowing through his feathers, lifting him up, taking him down, twisting all around him. _Inhale_ , rising up higher and higher, until the ground was a blur beneath him. _Exhale,_ the tensions in him bleeding away, the world left behind as the sky opened up around him and there was nothing but clouds and blue sky as far as the eye could see.

It was the most amazing feeling in the world to twist and turn his body through the sky. Nothing around him, nothing holding him down. Just _freedom_.

Loki let out a laugh that cut through the sky in a sharp cry. Tilting his body, he rolled down into a smooth dive, wings tucked in tight on either side. It was _exhilarating_ to feel the air rushing over him while his body plummeted. Loki let out another laugh as the ground became clear through the last of the clouds, rushing closer and closer, a wide open field right at the edge of a dense forest. He pulled himself up at the last second, his stomach just barely skimming over some of the taller blades of grass, and pushed his body up once more.

Just a few feet above the ground, bird shifted into man, and Loki landed lightly on bare feet in the grass. The peace he'd found in the sky stayed with him as he headed towards the forest ahead of him.

Not once did Loki's footsteps falter. Not through the field, nor as he entered the forest he knew looked dark and forbidding. On the outside, it seemed to be a place of danger, a place that one would think twice before entering. To him, it was so different, and so much _more._

Dark, forbidding trees gave way to warm, healthy ones, bright green and dripping in vines and leaves. The forest felt so peaceful and alive around Loki. There were traps there for the unwary; those who were not welcome here. But for him, the leaves and branches parted, and the grass was welcoming under his bare feet. Loki easily followed the path he'd laid here; one that only he would ever be able to access. Not even with the Mind Stone had _He_ ever been able to make his way here.

There was no telling how long he walked. Time held no meaning inside this place. It could've been minutes, or hours, or even days. Not once did he get tired. Loki simply continued walking until, finally, there was a break in the trees.

A soft smile curved his lips as he took his first step inside the place he hadn't been in such a long, long time.

Loki stepped out into his mother's gardens – the one place that he'd always associated with safety and warmth growing up. Even with everything that had happened, everything he'd found out, that hadn't changed for him. He'd always felt so safe here. Loki let his hand trail lightly over the twisting _ghora_ bushes that spread and grew much like Midgard's rose bushes, only minus the thorns, and coming in so many more colors. The bushes were no more than waist high, and he easily slipped along the stone path that led him between them and towards the center.

Frigga had designed her gardens well, with many twisting paths throughout them all, allowing for one to wander for hours as they looked at it all. Loki had spent many an hour working in these very gardens, helping Frigga to care for them, or simply sitting amongst the plants and admiring their beauty.

But it was the center of this all that was truly _Loki's_.

At the very center of the gardens stood a beautiful fountain. It was tall – taller than Loki – and shaped from rock that seemed to have grown right up from the ground. Multiple pools appeared to be part of its very structure – grown that way, not carved. Each pool fed down into the one below it until finally spilling down into a small pond at the base. From that pond were a handful of small rivers. Creeks, he supposed they'd be called. Tiny trails of water that spread outwards into the rest of the garden, feeding it life – feeding _Loki_ life.

This was his seidr. A constant, ever flowing supply, bubbling up through the fountain and slowly flowing down into him. If Loki so wished, he could draw on it, make it come faster, turning those tiny creeks into flowing rivers. Or he could keep it calm, like this.

If he was going to find out if there were any connection between him and Anthony, this would be the place to do it.

Loki went to one knee at the edge of the small pond at the bottom and dipped a hand in, letting his fingers trail through the water. It curled around his fingers and held on like a lover, twining them together and stroking against his skin before letting go.

The first thing Loki needed to do was start looking around for something that he hadn't known was there. A strange thought, especially in a place such as this, but he had to check. He needed to see if someone his seidr had formed a connection without making him aware of it. It wasn't outside the realm of possibility. With that in mind, Loki carefully made his way around the pond's edge, tracing over the more familiar creeks, occasionally following along with some he wasn't quite sure of.

He paused alongside one of the oldest and deepest ones; a bit of seidr that had formed a connection long ago and that had never completely severed, not even at the deepest of Loki's madness. It was edged in plants covered in thorns and brightly colored flowers. The kind of plants that stood for hard trials, for both good and bad memories, and for a kind of love and loyalty that withstood the test of time.

Loki brushed his fingers over a red flower and thought of big booming laughs, and an arm thrown over his shoulder. A wide grin and laughing eyes, sharing in a joke that had been theirs alone. Curling up under covers and refusing to admit they'd been scared by stories around the fire earlier, each insisting they were only there for the other. Angry words and solemn vows. Anger and love, all twined together in a way that only Thor had ever been able to inspire.

He made himself turn away. This was no time to sit and speculate on the complicated relationship he and Thor shared. Theirs was a brotherhood that Loki knew would be there always, no matter how angry he got. Sometimes, he could even admit to himself that that was _why_ he got so angry. He knew that Thor would still be there, the giant oaf, no matter how furious Loki got, no matter what he did. Sometimes it made him want to push, to see how far he had to go before Thor finally had enough, just like everyone else. So far, it hadn't happened.

As Loki stepped carefully towards the next creek of seidr, he tried to watch where he was going, not wanting to squash any of the plants.

Because he was looking so closely, it was easy to see when the plants began to thicken. What had seemed like a simple bush stretching over the water from a distance was now becoming clearer, and much _thicker_. Loki could see that it wasn't just growing _over_ the water. It was _in_ it. No, it was more than that. Loki took another step closer and squatted down low, keeping his hands back. It was _blocking_ it!

Something like this couldn't be accidental. There was no way that a flow of seidr could _accidentally_ be blocked here. Loki would have to either do it deliberately or become so broken inside that his mind shut off parts of itself in order to heal.

Sure, Loki knew he had healing to do. He knew he hadn't healed completely yet from what _He_ had done. But there was no reason for his mind to do this.

That meant that _someone else_ was responsible for this.

That thought alone was almost enough to break Loki's calm and send him jolting back towards his body. He had to fight to take a few calming breaths and force his temper down. Later would be the time for temper. Later, he could seethe to himself and promise retribution against whoever had done this.

For now, Loki carefully straddled the creek of seidr and settled himself onto his haunches. Then he focused on the foliage in front of him and studied it from all angles. Only when he was sure that there wasn't some sort of trap waiting to spring out at him did he reach down and coat his hands in the seidr below him, bringing not only his hands back up but the seidr as well, working as a second set of hands.

With a deep breath, Loki reached forward and began to untangle whatever spell was blocking him.

The instant his hands touched it, there was no doubt in Loki's mind just who had caused it. The realization that Odin had done something else to him, something big enough to put a block on Loki's _seidr_ , had the world rattling around him a little and the pool of seidr darkening with his rage. But Loki continued to breathe, and he continued to work. He would not let this stand. Whatever Odin had done, Loki was getting it out of here, _now_. This spell was not going to spend one more moment here!

He had to be careful. This spell was careful, made to be hidden, and made to resist. It fought him every single step of the way. But Loki chipped at it little by little, cutting pieces of it free like ridding himself of infected flesh. And as he did, his seidr continued to push, until that first, tiny little trickle broke through.

Loki made a triumphant sound and tugged at another vine, slowly, carefully pulling it free.

That little trickle grew stronger with each tug that Loki gave, until suddenly, with one last pull of a branch, the power of Loki's seidr overpowered the last of the spell, and it broke through and tore it apart before rushing down a connection that had been denied for a very long time.

As the connection filled once more, it jolted through Loki like a lightning strike. This wasn't just a connection reestablishing. This was so much more. Thousands of thoughts, memories, _feelings_ , came flooding back in with the seidr, sweeping Loki down with it, pulling him along in the current until he was lost under the onslaught. Unable to break water, Loki drown in it as a lifetime of memories poured their way back into his brain, and things that had been so wrong were again made right.

* * *

A ragged gasp tore its way past Loki's lips as he was thrown from his meditation and back into his physical body. He was physically flung backward from the force of it, sliding across the floor to crash into the nearby wall.

He heard Thor calling his name, and he could sense his oldest brother coming to crouch in front of him, demanding to know what was wrong. But Loki couldn't see him right now. All he could see was another face – a face he had once known as well, if not _better_ , than his own. One that he had forgotten. No – been _made_ to forget!

Staring up at Thor, the walls that were usually in his eyes hiding his feelings now gone, Loki could only say one word. One single word packed with a wealth of love and pain.

" _Anto_."


	22. Chapter 22

Tony had woken up to quite a few shitty situations in his long, long life. Even in his Midgardian life, he'd had his fair share of bad times. Sometimes it was as simple as waking up to find himself in bed with people he probably shouldn't be, an irate spouse standing nearby. Once, even, armed with a shotgun. Tony had moved _fast_ in that instance.

And sometimes... sometimes it was a whole lot worse.

This probably ranked in the top five of his crappiest wake-ups ever.

The very first thing Tony became aware of was the shackles around his wrists and ankles, and the hard surface underneath his back. He wasn't lying down, but he wasn't upright, either. The thing he was on was slanted; there was something solid under his feet to hold him in place.

All of that registered peripherally. It was the shackles that held Tony's attention the most. More accurately, what they _did_.

Magic suppressing cuffs didn't completely cut a strong mage off from their magic. For a sorcerer – someone who could reach out and access the seidr around them – it would cut them off and leave them empty and naked, unable to touch anything. For a mage, there was no way to cut them off without entirely. Seidr existed as a very part of them. The cuffs or shackles couldn't take it away. However, it cut off a mages connections and locked the seidr they always carried deep down inside of them at their Center.

Tony could feel his seidr inside of him, only there was nothing he could do with it. It was like a live current he could feel inside of him with his skin now a prison holding it in. Tony could feel it and could do nothing with it to help himself. That was a worse torture than anything else. To feel it and be able to do nothing. To know that he wouldn't be able to use it to help himself against whatever was to come. And what was coming... well, no one put these kinds of cuffs or shackles on someone for a _good_ reason.

Before he even opened his eyes, Tony had assessed his body and everything he could around him with his other senses. The room he was in was cold, he was clad only in his undersuit, and the only injury he could feel was a residual ache from the spell Amora had cast.

The panic, now, that was something else entirely, and something that Tony was trying hard not to turn his focus toward. Memories were pushing up from the depths that he usually forced them down into and it took a lot of willpower to keep them down there as he opened his eyes and found himself in complete darkness.

It wasn't easy. Tony had memories of dark, cold rooms, and the more he woke, the colder this room seemed to feel. That didn't exactly make it easy for him. He ran his tongue over his teeth and pressed it against his lips just to make _sure_. This _was_ different. He wasn't there! Not anymore!

Right?

The room was getting colder and colder with each passing moment. Or was that just Tony's own head, playing tricks on him?

He was on the razor edge of panic when a sickly green mage light sprang to life a few feet in front of him. Tony had to blink his eyes rapidly a few times just to clear his vision enough to look back over. He knew who he'd see even before he looked. This wasn't the green of the mage that Tony wanted to see. This was the nasty green of the one who had brought him here.

Tony fought back his shivers and the urge to start snarling, and he curved his lips up into a parody of a smile. "Well hey there, Mora. Fancy meeting you here." He paused for a second and pretended to be confused. "Or, is that Thanos? I'm not sure which one I'm addressing right now, seeing as how the last time I saw you, you were pretty firmly his bitch."

For most people, Amora might've been pretty. There were beautiful women out there. Tony had admired and enjoyed quite a few of them. But for him, she had just never been his type. Then again that might've had something to do with the fact that he knew what kind of deceitful poison lay on the inside. He'd seen the worst of what she could do and had loathed her for it for centuries. Any chances that she might've ever had at making herself attractive for him were long gone.

"And you're as vulgar as ever, my darling Anto," Amora said dryly, answering Tony's question as to whether or not she'd recognized him. That definitely made things a whole lot more difficult and dangerous.

The mage light drifted up to float suspended above their heads, affixing itself to the ceiling. It brightened until the whole of Tony's little cell was lit. What he saw as he looked around was enough to make his stomach clench. While it wasn't a perfect match for the place that he'd been, cells like this tended to run similarly. Four dark, stone walls. Cold. Wet. One metal door, with no window on it, no way that light was going to get in. No way his screams were going to get out.

"Do you like it?" Amora asked him, gesturing around his cell. She smiled brightly, crossing her arms in a way that lifted her chest and put it perfectly on display. It was the kind of unconscious gesture that she'd learned to make at a young age, and that told Tony that she was more in control than he'd thought. At least for the moment. Thanos might be in her head, but that didn't mean he knew the small nuances of being Amora. Those little things, the way she put her chest on display, the head tilt and chin lift she did when he didn't stare at her chest, those were purely Amora.

Tony arched one eyebrow. His smile was insolent and smug enough to make even the most composed of people want to strike him. Deliberately, he let his eyes drift down to the display she'd put on, and then back up to her face. "Not particularly. Sorry, sweetheart, but you're not my type."

Her expression tightened ever so slightly – just a little around the eyes – and then smoothed back out before twisting a little. Her lip curled up, her nose wrinkled, and she gave the clear impression of staring at something utterly disgusting stuck to the bottom of her shoe. "That's right. Your type runs a little _different_ , doesn't it? A little more… _familial_?"

That was enough to have Tony's insides freezing almost more than his outsides. Her recognizing Anto was one thing. He'd accepted that it was only his brothers so far that didn't seem to know him. But this was more than that. This was a hint at one of Tony's deepest secrets. One that she shouldn't possibly know!

Whatever she saw on his face – even just the blankness he was fighting to keep there – must've amused her. Amora let out a husky laugh. "What? Did you honestly think it was a secret, darling? Did you think no one noticed the way you looked at him? How protective you were of him?" Leaning in, Amora reached out and patted Tony's cheek, laughing again when he jerked away hard enough to make his shackles rattle. "The only one blind to it was _him_. He never saw you the way you wanted him to."

"You'd be familiar with that feeling, I'm sure," Tony shot back, hiding his pain underneath another smirk even nastier than the last. "Not just from him, either – though, let's be real, he only ever saw you as a _tool_. One he could pick up and throw back down as needed. No, it wasn't just him. Not a single Odinson ever wanted you, no matter how hard you tried. Not without the help of spells, at least." Her eyes darkened, and Tony clicked his tongue and gave a head shake of mock sympathy. "That must sting."

The blow to the face wasn't entirely unexpected. With Æsir strength, she packed a Hel of a wallop; it'd been a long time since Tony had been so simply struck by that kind of power. Battles with Amora recently, yeah, and that sparring with Thor. Plus, the fighting he'd done on his recent realm tour. But like this? Tied up, held down, or even just standing still, taking a blow like that? He'd almost forgotten just how much that could hurt.

Not that he let it show, of course. Tony looked back at her and kept his smirk firmly in place. "Hit a nerve, Mora?"

Her hand shot out again, only this time she grasped his throat, forcing his chin up and tightening her grip just enough to make breathing a bit difficult. Her face was a furious mask when she leaned in, and her eyes were all green, all her. "Speak not of what you do not understand."

"You never did like hearing the truth," Tony rasped out.

"And you never did know when to silence your tongue."

Tony had to admit, the next flew blows that Amora doled out were pretty impressive. The fact that she was using her fists at all was out of character for her. Yet, Amora clearly knew what she was doing. When she stopped, Tony was bleeding from his mouth, and he knew his left eye was going to bruise spectacularly. He ran his tongue along his teeth just to make sure they were all still firmly in place.

Despite the pain, Tony tilted his head enough to spit blood down on the floor. Then he summoned up his most smug smirk - his 'I'm a Price, and you're a lowly, ignorant peasant' look - knowing full well just how much that look pissed people off. Her especially. "I don't know what he promised you, Amora, but he's lying to you, and you're playing right into it. Whatever you want with me, you're not going to get it."

"Oh, I'm sure we'll get plenty," Amora said, laughing lightly, and that hint of blue was ringing around her eyes again, power from her connection to Thanos flaring inside of her. "You'll make a fine tool for my Master."

"You can't control me. You don't have the mind gem anymore."

"You think that's the only way to break someone?" Amora asked him. She gave a low 'tsk' and shook her head. Then she reached one hand out and patted his cheek while, behind her, the door opened and her familiar companion came walking in. "Oh, honey. By the time I'm done with you, you'll be _begging_ to serve me."

* * *

 _How dare he_? It was the most coherent thought in Loki's head for long moments. _How DARE he?_

Shock was rolling through the young mage like a tidal wave. He could feel the memories that were sweeping their way through him like the most dangerous of undercurrents, threatening to suck him back under until he would drown beneath them all. It was the touch of rocksteady hands on his shoulders that allowed Loki to stay afloat.

Any other time and he might have pushed away from those hands – hands he would always recognize. But right then Loki could only reach up and curl his hands around Thor's arms and hold on tightly. He needed that touch, that anchor, to keep him grounded in the here and now.

Grief warred with his anger and had Loki closing his eyes and giving in to a childish temptation. He leaned in enough that his forehead found the same curve in Thor's shoulder that he'd rested on many, many times in the past. Underneath him, Loki felt Thor startle at the old, childish embrace. Then one of Thor's hands hesitantly let go of Loki's shoulder to reach up and clasp the back of his neck, holding him there. A second later, his cheek was pressed against the top of Loki's head.

It was here, against his brother, that Loki was free to let go of some of the rage that was racing through him side by side with his heartache. "I'm going to kill him," Loki growled out, hands tightening on Thor's arms. The threat wasn't an idle one, either. There was promise in his words that he knew Thor would be able to hear.

"Who?" Thor's voice was a low rumble both near his ear and vibrating against Loki's forehead.

Loki's answer was a dangerous snarl, not caring in the least how Thor reacted to this proclamation. " _Odin_."

There had been no denying the feel of the spell that had been blocking that connection inside of him. Odin had put a spell on Loki that had affected him down to his very Center. He'd taken away Anto, one of the brightest spots in Loki's life. The brother he'd been closest with – the one who had understood Loki better than _anyone_. And Odin had _taken him away_!

The effects of losing Anto went deeper than the gaping loss of his brother. Whether Odin had realized it or not, he'd changed so much. In a way, he'd helped to cause a lot of the recent problems between Loki and Thor, and Loki and Asgard.

Odin had taken away Loki's anchor – a dangerous thing to do to a mage. More than that, though… by taking away Anto, he'd taken away some of Loki's memories of others as well. Memories of times spent with family, with friends. With _Thor_. He'd marred the bond between his oldest and youngest. So many memories, both good and bad, had involved all three brothers.

Times where they'd been furious with one another, or where they'd been closer than ever before. Times where Thor had broken through the mold of Perfect Prince enough to actually stand up for both brothers. Times where Thor had brought both his younger brothers into his tent on a hunt and slept with himself between them and the entrance just to make sure that they were safe and protected, because nothing mattered more to him than family.

By taking Anto out of their memories, Odin had taken a part of Thor and Loki as well, changing who they were. A person is made up of their experiences in life. The things they've gone through, the people they know. Removing even _one_ is enough to cause some changes. Removing a brother who had been a part of their everyday life, that they'd lived and laughed and loved with for thousands of years… it'd changed so much. Thor and Loki were still themselves, the choices they'd made still their own, and yet: would they have made those choices if they'd been whole?

"Brother," Thor's deep voice drew Loki out of his murderous thoughts. He realized abruptly that he was clenching tight enough he was no doubt bruising Thor's arms. Loki forced his grip to relax and tried to pull away, only for Thor to stop him when they were face to face. He kept his grip on Loki's neck and used it to tug him in until their foreheads were brushing. "What has happened? What has our father done to anger you so?"

"He is no father of mine," Loki snapped out furiously.

Thor let out a heavy sigh. "Loki."

That was enough to have Loki jerking backward, though he didn't completely pull away. He didn't let go of Thor. That didn't keep his voice from getting sharper, though. "No, do not _dare_ defend him to me right now, Thor! _Do not dare_."

Storm clouds darkened Thor's eyes with worry. "Why? What has he done to anger you so?"

It was on the tip of Loki's tongue to do just that – to explain to Thor what was going on. But, no, there would be no point to that, would there? Thor's memories were likely just as altered as Loki's were. Worse, even, without the protection that Loki's seidr provided him with. Loki stared up at Thor and forced himself to calm, just a little. The person he had been moments ago, even just this morning, would've dove in without a word. Yet with the memories of their past so fresh in his mind, and far more sentimentality in him than Loki was comfortable with, he found he couldn't do this without at least _asking_.

"Thor, I realize the foolishness of my next question, yet know that I am far more serious than I have been in a very, very long time." Loki let those words sink in and then held his eldest brother's eyes as he asked: "Do you trust me?"

There was only a small hesitation – far smaller than Loki had anticipated – before Thor nodded. "Aye."

His answer came without any qualifiers or stipulations. That stunned Loki speechless. He'd expected to need to argue this. Yet here Thor was, staring at him with open trust, waiting calmly for whatever it was that Loki was going to do.

Loki pushed that aside to think about later – this idea that Thor, even knowing the horrible things that Loki had done, and not remembering their past, still trusted him so much – and instead finally let go of Thor's arms to reach up and carefully cup his face instead. His seidr pushed out of him, down the connection to his brother, and he felt Thor accept the touch of it as he'd always done.

Now that Loki had seen the spell inside his own mind, he knew how to look for it in Thor without delving too deep. He knew how to grasp hold of the edges of it and tease it out, drawing it carefully and slowly from his eldest brother's mind, until it unraveled on its own and the part of Thor that had been held back was able to spill free.

Loki drew his seidr back and brought his hands to rest on his thighs. He knelt there on the floor and watched as Thor went through the same process as Loki had just done. He watched the grief swell on Thor's features, watched as the pain and anger built there.

Outside the tower, thunder began to rumble, and dark clouds built in the sky.

It was echoed by the storm that was building in Thor's eyes. For the first time, Loki saw the power that his eldest brother carried. He watched as the lightning that Thor usually called up seemed to crackle in his eyes and over his fingertips. This wasn't just anger – this was _rage_. A rage that threatened to do a whole lot of damage. At that moment, Loki was abruptly reminded that, while Anto had been his best friend, he was also Thor's little brother, and these returned memories showed precisely what happened to those that dared cross some invisible line in the sand when it came to either of Thor's younger brothers.

Loki was hard pressed to step up and stop Thor now, though. He had to battle his own memories yet again, as well as his own rage. The relationship he'd had with Thor after Anto was taken from them… it had been so strained, so painful, without the buffer that Anto had always acted as between them. Thor and Loki had been close, once. Thor had been less hotheaded with both his brothers to help temper him. He'd been less of a spoiled brat, and more of a brother. Loki had been less cold, less isolated, with someone that he could vent to that _understood_.

"How is this possible?" Thor demanded, his voice rumbling with the low sounds of building thunder.

Somehow, the two had pushed their way to their feet once more, and Loki wasn't surprised to see that Thor held Mjolnir in his hand or that she was crackling with energy as much as Thor was.

Loki's eyes darkened in response to Thor's question. "There is only one with the power to manipulate memories on this level, especially for one such as I." It'd take a lot to work past Loki's own considerable power and do something that he didn't even notice them doing.

The crackling of lightning grew strong. Outside, the storm was directly overhead now, shaking through the tower. "Why?"

"I would like the answer to that as well," Loki said furiously.

There was no telling what might've happened if the two had been left to fuel one another on. Both of the brothers were too angry to think rationally at the moment. It took JARVIS speaking to cut them off and bring them both back to the present moment.

"The Avengers are in the hallway, Master Liesmith," JARVIS said, breaking into the tense silence that had fallen over them. "They've expressed concern at the storm brewing over us and the thunder that shakes the tower."

The sound of JARVIS speaking, as well as his words, worked like a bucket of cold water. They jolted Loki back to the here and now and reminded him that there were other, far more important things to worry about. This… new revelation… could be pushed aside and dealt with later. What they'd just discovered changed quite a lot, and they needed to accommodate for it, yes. They needed to better plan. But their focus had to be on getting Anthony – Anto – free from Amora and Thanos.

It'd been one matter to get Anthony home to them. To bring home Anto… there was nothing that would get in their way.

Gathering himself, Loki straightened up, standing tall and proud. "Let them in, JARVIS."

* * *

A low groan broke free from Tony's lips as his body slumped back against the table. As much as he hated to admit it, his shackles were holding most of his weight at the moment. If it weren't for them, there was every chance he would've just continued to slide downwards until he was a heap on the floor at Amora's feet. _Thank the Norns for small mercies, then._ The shackles kept him upright, allowing him some sense of dignity. There wasn't much to be had at the moment.

Skurge had happily helped Amora work Tony over physically. There wasn't a part of his body, aside from his chest, that wasn't either injured, broken, or bleeding. The only reason that Tony's chest had been left alone was thanks to the power still under his skin. While it didn't work no the world around him, it was enough to shelter the arc reactor. To make it an illusion of just his chest, and to even put a subtle 'keep back' around it, as well as reinforcing it to withstand physical blows. None of it was near the strength that Tony usually managed, but it was doing well enough.

The physical pain was nothing new for Tony. He'd taken worse than this before; Skurge wasn't going to be the one to finally break him with pain.

No, it wasn't the physical pain that made this so hard – it was the mental attacks that came with it.

For each bit of pain Skurge doled out, Amora met it with a mental attack against Tony's shields. Skurge fought his body, and Amora fought his mind.

Over and over the two teamed up against him to try and break Tony down. To get his control to waver just enough that Amora would be able to break in past his shields and seize control. If she did that, she could control him just as well as she did her puppets back in their fight, and it'd be easy for her to take him to Thanos. Once there, Tony would stand no chance. He couldn't hold out against a Titan like Thanos.

Tony had lost track of how long he'd been here. As he lay there, he had no idea how long he'd been doing this, and he knew it was better that way. Sometimes watching the clock only made things worse.

He opened heavy eyes and panted for breath as he stared at the two figures in front of him. Skurge stood back, clearly waiting for his orders, and Amora stood beside him. She had a soft smile on her face and an almost gentle air about her. "You know how to make this stop, Anto," she told him, shaking her head like she was somehow disappointed in him. "It doesn't have to be this way. You know how to stop it."

Tony pressed his tongue to the roof of his mouth and grinned at her with a broad, bloody smile. "You kidding? This is like a regular Tuesday night for me!" Leaning forward, he tipped a wink at her. "My safe word is Persimmon, by the way."

Making a soft 'tsk' sound, Amora shook her head, still looking so gentle and so disappointed. "I didn't want to have to do this, little one." The shift in her voice was unmistakable. It wasn't just Amora speaking to him anymore. Unconsciously, Tony tensed, preparing himself for whatever was coming his way. When Amora looked up at him, her eyes were once more ringed in blue. "You brought this on yourself. I've seen the truth of you in her mind – I know the way to your heart, _Odinson_."

What came next wasn't just a physical or mental attack. No, it was so much more. So much _worse_.

Thanos struck out through Amora, only he didn't attack the way that she had. He didn't throw himself at Tony's shields and try to break them down, or overpower him, or find a crack to slip through. No, what he did was so much worse. Instead of throwing his own power at Tony, he threw _images_. Illusions stronger than those even Loki could conjure. Tony was helpless against it as image after image assaulted his mind, each one geared to cut deep.

They weren't images of what might happen, or what possibilities lay in his future. They weren't potential scenarios that Thanos thought might cause him pain. What he sent hurt so much worse than all of those, because what Thanos attacked with wasn't made up – it was _real_.

Tony lay stretched out on that table and lived through the memories right alongside his brother as the Other and the Chitauri strapped Loki down to a medical table and did the kinds of things to him that had Loki and Tony both screaming.

With his seidr trapped inside of him, there was no way for Tony to fight back against this, no way for him to stop it as memory after memory poured into him – memories that Thanos had to have taken directly from Loki while he had him under his control. Tony felt each cut that Loki received, each blow. Each moment of freezing cold, or burning fire. He felt it all as if it happened to himself, unable to do anything but watch as his brother was broken and gutted and torn apart by these _monsters_.

Pain of his own was something that Tony could take. Pain against those he cared about? There was only so much of that he'd be able to stand, he knew. Even as Tony fought to shove his shields up tighter, make them strong, he swore he could feel the first few cracks building at the edges. Those cracks grew with each passing memory.

Once again, Tony lost all sense of time. There was no way to keep track of it as he was dragged down into the torture that his brother had endured, forced to witness it all and be unable to do anything.

* * *

Out of respect for Anthony, any conversation had been moved out of his workshop and back up to the common floor. It was there that the Avengers were all gathered together now – and it was there that Loki had explained what it was they'd just discovered.

The stunned disbelief on their faces echoed what Loki felt inside.

"Your _brother_?" Clint repeated slowly, as if he wasn't quite able to believe what he was saying even as he was saying it. "You're telling me that Tony, our Tony, is your brother?"

It was Thor who answered him. "Aye. Loki removed the spell from our minds that hid him from us. With that gone, I can assure you, Anthony Stark is our brother. He is Anto Odinson, Second Prince and First General of Asgard."

"Does it truly matter who he really is?" Loki demanded. "Whether our brother or our teammate, his fate is currently still the same. He is in Amora's clutches – a woman under the thrall of the Mad Titan. Perhaps we should spend our time trying to plan how to _get him back_ instead of standing here debating his parentage."

Fizik stood at Loki's side, a silent companion since they'd all come together. He'd been outside the workshop door, Loki had learned, and had been guarding the two Asgardians. Now it seemed that he'd taken up stance at Loki's side to play guardian there. It wasn't hard to figure out why. From what Loki had gathered from the spell Odin had placed in his mind, this wasn't something that would be able to reach out to the whole of the Nine Realms. No, this was a localized spell, meaning it was likely for the Royal Family only. Maybe just Asgard. But the other realms? They would've recognized Anto. They would know.

It stood to reason that Fizik knew exactly who Anthony Stark truly was. The question was – did _Tony_ know? If he did…

"How're we going to get him back?" Steve asked, interrupting Loki's thoughts. "Did you find anything else out while you were down there? Any way to use your connection to reach out to him and track him down?"

All eyes turned to Loki, and he had to fight not to flinch even as he shook his head. The connection he shared with Anto was weakened by time, distance, and the years and years of being blocked. It would take time before he'd be able to use it.

Time Anto did not have.

"What're we going to do, then?" Clint asked.

No one answered.

* * *

The cracks were growing so much larger now. With each passing moment, each image that Tony had to watch, each cut he felt, he swore he could hear the cracking of his walls as they started to tremble. There was only so much of this Tony could take – and he was quickly reaching his limit.

There was no plan here on how to get out of this. Tony had tried to find a weakness in the cuffs, either physical or magical, and come up with nothing. Neither Amora nor Skurge were going to leave him with any kind of weapon that he might be able to use, and the undersuit didn't carry any lockpicking tools in it. Tony was without tools, without weapons, without magic. He was trapped.

A small part of him had held on to the hope that maybe his team would find him. That having Loki there might give them a better chance. That maybe, just maybe, for once in Tony's long life someone would finally come after him instead of leaving him to break his way free on his own.

But as more time passed, as Tony felt himself begin to break, he knew he couldn't wait around on that kind of hope. Not when life had proved one too many times just how futile a hope it truly was, anyway.

There was only one thing that Tony could think of to do, and it was the very last thing he wanted. It wasn't a Plan B, or Plan C, or even Plan freaking G. This was all the way down at Plan Z – the absolute last thing Tony wanted to risk doing. Yet, it was the only thing that he could think of. With a heavy shudder and a hope to the Norns that he wasn't about to make the biggest mistake of his life, Tony gave up the natural shield he kept around himself that blocked him from Heimdall's sight, drawing the strength from that in and using it to buff up the rest of his shields.

This was the most exposed Tony had been since he'd been dumped on Jotunheim all those years ago.

Whatever kind of spells and warding Amora had up, Tony had to count on them not being strong enough to block Heimdall's sight. So far as Tony knew, the only ones who knew how to do those kinds of spells were him and Loki, and he knew Loki never would've shared something like that with Amora.

Thanos was likely able to, through sheer power and the fact that he was outside the Nine Realms. Tony knew it was a risk, but he held hope that Thanos wouldn't be able to shield this place. He had to be carefully exerting his power over Amora to make sure that he didn't overwhelm her and literally blow her apart. She wasn't made to hold his kind of power for long.

 _Please, Norns, let him see,_ Tony thought, not above begging. _Let him see. Let him find me. Let Odin's rage and need for my death outweigh his need to see me suffer._ If Heimdall told Odin, even that old fool had to see that leaving a mage like Tony in the hands of someone connected to Thanos was a bad idea. If he were able to turn Tony – there was no one better suited to capturing Loki for the Mad Titan. If that happened...

The two of them together would be a force to be reckoned with. One more than capable of bringing Midgard and the surrounding realms to their knees.

Tony wasn't as strong as Loki, he knew. He never had been. Whereas Loki had withstood the torment Asgardians heaped on him - had, in fact, refused to cow, to make himself so much _less_ \- Tony had done the opposite. He'd let their opinions lead him. He'd changed himself, time and time again, trying to fit in with them, while still trying to hold true to himself. Tony had fought his very nature as an elf to try and make himself more like the rest of them.

Loki wouldn't have broken the way Tony had after Odin's punishment. He wouldn't have shattered in the fields of Jotunheim and fractured so badly it'd taken a year just to start to function again, and many years beyond that to start to piece himself together enough to _live_. He never would've hidden out as something he wasn't out of fear of someone seeing him and potentially recognizing him. He _never_ would've performed the kind of spell that Tony had and run to Earth to hide and pretend to be someone that he wasn't.

Loki was strong. So fucking strong. He always had been.

If Loki had broken under Thanos's care – what chance did Tony have? How could he begin to hope to make it through this with a mind already so fractured and broken, barely held together by glue and hope?

Under the continued assault against his mind, Tony sank down deep inside himself in a last ditch effort to keep himself safe, deep down into his Center, and he threw all the seidr he could around himself. It was the only way he could think of to protect himself.

The Center of a mage changes as they change. It grows with them. Tony's had been a few different things for him over time; it'd changed as he had changed. What had once been his private smithy back in Asgard had shifted through to many, many things over the years. Now? Now, it was his workshop. Tight, secure, with impenetrable defenses no one could break past.

Layer after layer of defense had been laid over it. There were breaks in the coding - places that showed the damage that had been done here. But despite all of that, the very core of his defenses had always held intact. His Center had always been protected.

Tony curled up on the ground of his workshop, face pressed in against the warm amber light of a large glowing gemstone. Veins of it ran down, through the floor like living lines of power. He stroked his fingers against one of those lines and let the warmth of it soothe him, at least until the next hard crash against his shields that echoed like a sharp electric buzz and had him shuddering.

"Defenses are at 62%, Sir," JARVIS told him. Or, the voice of JARVIS. Just another layer in his mental defenses that his subconscious and seidr had combined together to give the voice of one he trusted more than any other.

Another shudder shook Tony. He closed his eyes and pressed closer to the glowing light of his seidr, hoping with everything he had for his father to come and take him away before he could finally shatter. At least he knew Odin would only torture and then likely kill him. Better that than _this_. Better death than a pawn in the hands of the Mad Titan.

 _Hurry,_ Tony thought, ignoring the next jolt against his shields. _Please, hurry!_


	23. Chapter 23

Feeling helpless was never something that Loki had done well with. He wasn't the type to stay inactive or to do nothing. Having to stand around now and wait for something to happen, wait for some information to fall into their lap, wait for _someone_ to come up with some sort of plan, it was torture.

Loki grimaced at his own choice of words. Whatever he was enduring here was nothing compared to what Anto was likely going through.

Thinking of his brother was enough to bring the fear and the pain right back to Loki's heart. He closed his eyes and leaned forward until his forehead pressed against the cool glass in front of him. The Avengers, as well as Fizik, were somewhere behind Loki, off in the main room arguing over what they might do or how they were going to find their lost friend. But Loki… Loki hadn't been able to just stand there and listen to it. Not when everything in him was aching the way it was. Not when his heart felt like it was breaking.

Loki didn't even realize how much control he was losing until he heard his eldest brother's voice coming from right next to him; a deep, low murmur. "You are freezing the glass, brother."

What? Loki opened his eyes and was stunned to find that, yes, the glass in front of him was frosting over. A quick check showed that at least his skin hadn't started to change. That was the last thing he wanted to do here.

The thought struck him then that Anto knew about him. He knew the truth of Loki's parentage – hadn't seemed the least bit surprised – and _he hadn't cared_.

 _Of course he didn't. He knows what it is to be ostracized for his heritage._

Loki blinked at his reflection and tried not to think about any of that. "Have they ceased arguing, or are we still as aimless as we have been?" he asked, trying to his usual coldness and failing miserably. The return of his memories had broken down a few of the walls that Loki kept up, and he was having a hard time getting them back in place.

His older brother's firm hand settled on Loki's shoulder. "We will find him, Loki."

"Is that so?" The words ripped their way from Loki like poison-tipped daggers, sharp and cutting. He spun to glare at Thor with all the venom he could. "While we stand here wringing our hands, he is in the clutches of that _with_ and _Him_. Every minute we leave him there is another minute they can _torture_ him! Have you any idea what they will do to him, Thor?"

Thor didn't back away from Loki's temper as he would've just a day ago. He stood there and shook his head, his eyes full of grief. "No, and it saddens me to know that you do."

The pain and fear and guilt inside of Loki was bubbling up. Now that he'd started to let it forth, he couldn't stop it, the words ripping their way out of him. He didn't pay attention to their audience, all of whom were watching them now. All of Loki's fury was directed at Thor. "You have no idea what they'll do to him. There is no _resisting_ him. Through Amora, the Titan will do everything in his power to rip apart any of the walls that Anto has built. He won't care about his body when Amora is capable of healing that. They will bend and break him until there is nothing left _except_ surrender."

"We will bring him home," Thor repeated.

He stepped forward and lifted a hand like he was going to touch Loki, clasp his shoulder or the side of his neck or another of those Thor gestures, and Loki hissed and slid back a step. "Touch me, and I will _stab you_."

To the surprise of the rest of the room, a wide grin split Thor's face. "It would not be the first time."

The sound Loki made was low and full of disbelief and disgust. Only Thor would grin at him like that at a threat of being stabbed. This, here, was the brother that Loki had grown up with. Not the one that he had fought with the past two hundred years. _That_ brother, Loki hadn't been close with. _Of course not. At least half of my good memories with Thor involved Anto in some way._ With those gone, half of the good times that the two brothers had shared were gone as well. Having those back had affected not just Loki, but Thor as well.

Loki slowly straightened up and glared at Thor with just a bit less intensity than before. "You have been hit in the head far too many times. Perhaps you should have Mother look into it when you return home."

The two shared a small, brief smile. There was no telling what might have happened next, or what words might've been said. A sudden flash of seidr cut them all off and Loki's head snapping up. He ignored the sound of JARVIS calling to them and the alarms that were going off. A wave of the hand and a bit of focus was all it took to cancel the screeching of the wards in his head. Loki took only the moment required to let Anto's wards know that this seidr was safe, and then he was moving towards it, one hand up and reaching outwards to the flare of seidr that he knew belonged to his mother.

As soon as Loki touched his mother's seidr with his, it shifted and changed, no longer just a light. By the time Loki physically reached it, it started to change.

Loki curled his hand around the light just as it shifted into a piece of parchment. A note.

"What on earth is that?" Steve was demanding, moving forward to look. Bruce was with him, eyes alight with speculation and curiosity.

Silently, Fizik moved up to Loki's side, a silent watcher. He said nothing as Loki drew the note in and carefully unfolded it.

On the piece of parchment were just a few words written in Frigga's familiar flowing script.

 _Heimdall has seen what you're looking for_.

Underneath that were numbers. Coordinates, Loki had learned in his time here. Those were _coordinates_. Below them was one last word – _Hurry_.

A grin slowly stretched over Loki's mouth. He knew Frigga's seidr; there was no way to emulate it on such a deep and intimate level. This note came from her, and whatever else happened in Loki's life, no matter how badly his family had hurt him with their lies, in something like this there was no doubt in his mind that he could trust what she sent him. She wouldn't lie to him on this. Not when the life of one of her sons was in danger.

Loki pushed away all his other questions and worries – how had Heimdall seen Anto? Was Odin on his way? Had Frigga known about Anto this whole time? – and focused instead on what was the most important. "Heimdall has seen him," Loki said, eyes running over the room. His grin turned a whole lot more dangerous. "And mother sent coordinates of his location. Arm yourselves, Avengers. We leave in five minutes."

* * *

Time lost any sort of meaning for Tony. He stayed curled against the very Center of himself and tried to keep himself grounded as the attacks against his shields continued. They were getting stronger, or he was getting weaker. He wasn't sure which one. It didn't really matter, though, did it? Either way, there was only so much longer that his shields would hold. The stronger attacks, or his weakening shields, or the two combined – it all boiled down to the fact that they were going to get in here. They were going to break their way in.

"How much time do we have, J?" Tony asked, keeping his face pressed against his Center.

There was a brief pause before JARVIS answered him. "Shield integrity at twenty-one percent, sir."

Tony took a deep breath and closed his eyes. They were getting closer and closer. He didn't have much longer before they pushed their way in here. Once Thanos managed that, Tony would be his. There'd be no way he'd be able to stop the Titan. With the power that Thanos carried, he'd be able to do a whole lot once he got in here. He'd be able to make Tony do so much.

 _And what are you doing to stop it_? Tony flinched at the whisper of his conscience. _You're cowering here like a kid, hoping for rescue. Since when have you needed rescue? You're Anto Odinson, banished prince of Asgard, and an honorary member of the Runerok Clan. You're Einn Noson, traveler and damn powerful mage. And you're Tony Goddamn Stark. People might take you, and they might break you, but they don't fucking win._

With a shaking hand, Tony reached out and curled his fingers over the edge of his Center, bracing himself on it as he slowly, carefully, pushed up to his feet.

Another crash against his shields sent the whole of his workshop rocking. Instead of cowering this time, or shuddering with it, Tony braced his feet flat and rode it out. When he lifted his eyes, his gaze was hard. He wasn't going to give up. He wasn't going to just let them win. Not when he still had a Goddamn breath left in his body to fight it with.

"All right, JARVIS. Talk to me. How much extra energy do we have that we can feed into the shields?" Tony was moving as he spoke, heading to a nearby console. It didn't surprise him when a set of holograms appeared in front of him. He just stopped and tilted his head so he could look at the numbers that were in front of him.

"Shield integrity is at twenty-one, sir," JARVIS told him. "We've routed all available power supplies to defenses. Any illusions you've used have been taken away and the extra power added in. The only remaining source of power…"

"…is the arc reactor," Tony finished for him.

"Indeed, sir. But to use the arc reactor that way would be to risk the metal shards beginning to slip towards your heart. It would, essentially, kill you."

A half grin curved Tony's lips, just a touch wry. "Only maybe, buddy."

"There's an eighty-seven percent chance, sir."

Tony waved one hand in the air dismissively. "That just means there's a thirteen percent chance it _won't_ kill me. That's better than the hundred percent chance of Thanos and Amora taking over my mind once they break in here." And that was something that Tony couldn't let happen. There was no way he could let his mind and his power be used against the people of _any_ of the realms. If that meant risking death, well, better dead than a tool, right?

Cracking his fingers, Tony leaned forward and pulled a hologram to him. "All right, J. Let's get to work. We're only gonna get one shot at this. Let's say we do it right, hm?"

* * *

It barely took their five-minute time limit for everyone to get ready. It helped that most of them had already been in uniform. All they really needed to do was restock a few weapons, and give Loki a moment to match up the coordinates Frigga gave him with an actual location. JARVIS helped with that part, making sure that Loki not only had an exact location but that he had enough imaging of the area to better be able to teleport them all there.

As soon as it had it, a simple _thought_ had Loki dressed in his battle armor. He was just placing his helmet on his head when the others began to gather around him. "There is no telling what waits for us there," Loki told the group calmly. "JARVIS did a scan of the area, but it appears to be shielded. That means that we won't know what we're facing until we arrive. What we _do_ know is that the building appears to be an old, abandoned castle in what I believe you call Scotland. It is large, well built, and likely protected with many magical safeguards. And, knowing Amora as I do, it will also be protected by those she's put in her thrall." Pausing, Loki held in the urge to shudder. "There is also the chance that she may have assistance. The Mad Titan has troops known as the Chitauri, and they are brainless beasts, but they are fighters. Be prepared for them."

"So, magic, monsters, and aliens?" Steve asked, followed by a quiet " _Oh my_ " from Clint that had Bruce's lips twitching a little.

Fizik hefted his axes and lifted his chin. "We are ready, Prince Loki." The words were said in Dwarven, and they were steady and strong. Sure. That same conviction was written on his face. Anto meant quite a bit to this young dwarf; not just Master, but family as well. Clan member. Fizik would fight hard to bring him home, or he would die trying. That was something that Loki could very much empathize with.

Their small group gathered together, everyone close and touching in some way. Thor and Clint were the ones to stand right beside Loki and clasp his shoulders. Both of them gave him firm, steady nods. They were ready. They were all ready.

With a final deep breath, Loki reached out to the threads of the world for the one that would take him where he wanted. In a blink, they were gone.


	24. Chapter 24

Loki had been a part of many battles in his long life, yet none of them had ever felt quite as important as this one.

There was no way to sneak them all in. Not with the way Amora had her defenses set up. To sneak in would've required far too long to prepare for, and that was time they didn't have. The _Hurry_ on Frigga's note was eating away at Loki with every passing second, only fueling the urgency that he already felt. That urgency got worse when they arrived. This close, Loki was able to feel a slight tug on the connection inside of him, the one that had been dormant for so long. It was surging, the seidr in him reaching out and seeking to reconnect with the one it'd been denied for so long, and Loki wanted nothing more than to do it. But he couldn't. Not yet.

He didn't know this castle the way that Amora did. That meant that Loki couldn't simply teleport in there and hope to land well. He had to figure out where he was going first. Some general idea of the layout, even. Normally, he could've extended his seidr, let it map out the place around him, and teleported in an instant. But the feel of Amora and Thanos all over this place prevented Loki from doing that.

There was a plan, Loki heard. Some vague part of him caught the plan that the Captain was laying out for the team. He seemed to have stepped in and taken charge the instant that they landed, and that was fine. Let him. Loki had no need to be a part of any of that.

Neither, it seemed, did Thor.

The thunderer stepped up beside Loki and looked up at the castle. "Can you sense him?"

"Yes. But I cannot take us directly there."

A dangerous smile lit Thor's face. So often, when faced with the brothers many assumed that Thor – while strong and a good fighter – wasn't truly _dangerous_. That he wasn't capable of the true sort of rage that could destroy so much. Loki knew better. There were very few things capable of riling up Thor to this point. Harm to those he loved? That was the quickest route.

Thor brought Mjolnir up and began slowly twirling her round and round. "Then we shall make our own path."

It was no surprise when Fizik came up to Loki's other side. He had his axes in hand and a fierce look on his face. There was very little that would get between a dwarf and a Clan Member.

Loki looked to either side of him and nodded. Then he spread his hands to the side and let his daggers slide down into them. "Let us find our brother."

His words were echoed by a crash and the loud roar of the Hulk.

* * *

They barely made it to the castle walls before they were attacked. As Loki had predicted, Amora had creatures with her. The fact that they were creatures and not humans made it easier for the Avengers, at least. There was less guilt in killing these things than there would've been in trying to stop a human. Loki didn't bother telling them that these things were just as much in Amora's thrall as any human would've been. They were a warrior creature, found in Vanaheim, and while they didn't possess human intelligence, they were smart. They were also a hunter's greatest companion. Each one that Loki was forced to slaughter was a tragedy.

More than that, though, there were other creatures. Ones that Amora had clearly conjured up with the aid of Thanos. Those, Loki had no such qualms destroying, and he did so happily.

With Thor to one side and Fizik to the other, Loki cut his way through everything that Amora sent their way. He allowed instinct to pull him along in the direction of their lost brother. It was like a string between the two of them – thin and fragile compared to what it should be. Yet it was constantly tugging Loki forward as if to say _here, this way, over here_. Loki fought to go where it willed him.

It wasn't until they were actually inside the castle wall, and the Hulk had smashed enough walls to break some of her wards, that the connection grew stronger. Strong enough for Loki to finally be able to _truly_ feel Anto.

What he felt sent the bottom dropping out of his world.

There was pain – so much pain – and grief beyond any imagining. Stronger than all of those, however, was the rage that was twined together with resignation. It was a combination that Loki had felt before from other warriors. It was the sensation of one who knew they were going to die, and who was going to take out as many around them as they possibly could before that happened.

Before he even realized what he was doing, Loki sent out a blast of magic out the creatures around him, and then he was running. He didn't care about Thor, or Fizik, nor any of the Avengers. None of them mattered. All that mattered was that feeling in his chest that was growing louder by the second, screaming at him to get to Anto _now_.

Loki had barely gone far when a bright light suddenly tore through the castle. It shot out of the ceiling not far from where Loki was and blasted straight up into the sky like a bright, blazing pillar. The whole world seemed to go quiet as it lit up everything. The power in it was immense – even the mortals felt it. This was human science and seidr twined together in a way that Loki had only ever felt from one being.

Tony Stark.

 _Anto_.

The light hadn't stopped yet, but Loki was running again, jumping over the fallen bodies of the conjured creatures, darting around the others, not even caring that none of them attacked him or what that meant. All his focus was on the thread of connection inside of him that had blazed almost as bright as that pillar of light and suddenly flashed down to something small and weak the instant that light faded away. _No, no, no, please, Norns, don't let me be too late!_

A blast of seidr tore open the door in front of Loki. He shot inside, knives in his hands and his body and seidr ready for just about anything.

Only, there was nothing to fight.

Loki's eyes found Amora first – or what was left of her. It looked like a powerful blast had caught her around the middle and practically ripped her in half. Her lower half was on the ground and quite damaged, while her upper half was laying off to the right, her expression permanently frozen in one of shock. Loki felt no grief over the loss.

No, it was the other occupant of the room that Loki was here for – the only one that mattered.

A pained cry tore its way up Loki's throat when he saw his brother. Anto was strapped down to a table, wrists bound above his head, and his body was a mess of cuts, bruises, and a few broken bones that Loki could visibly see. There were no illusions on him; nothing to hold back his true self. Every inch of who Anto was, was laid out and exposed for everyone to see. Including the glowing light in his chest.

A light which was growing weaker by the second.

That was what broke the paralysis that seemed to have fallen over Loki. It had him racing forward, right up to his brother's side, as an echo of Anto's voice drifted up in the back of Loki's mind, telling him how that light in his chest kept him alive. How pieces of magical metal were inside his chest, ready to race to his heart, and this light, this _thing_ , was the only thing that kept him alive. And now, that light was dying.

Anto's eyes were barely open when Loki reached him. Yet he turned his head, and the very first thing he did was _smile_. His eyes were bruised, his lip was bleeding, and his nose clearly looked broken – yet Anto smiled at the sight of him. "Oh good," he croaked out. "You're here. Is it selfish that I'm glad you're here?"

"I would not be anywhere else," Loki said fervently. His one hand came up to gently cup Anto's face while his other fluttered uselessly over him. He could feel how low Anto's seidr was; he'd packed so much of it into that blast. His magic was fading, the light was fading, and Loki was terrified that Anto was fading, too. "We need to get you help, brother. Your light… I know not how to help your light."

Anto's eyes sparkled briefly with just a hint of their old light. They glittered up at Loki in their truest form, without any of those illusions that made them appear human. "You remember me."

The breath that tore its way from Loki's lungs was shaky and jagged. Yet he somehow kept his voice from breaking too much. "Yes. And we shall be having words about why you did not feel the need to inform me earlier that I had been forced to forget my own brother."

"Didn't… didn't want you to hate me…" Anto's voice trailed off, and his eyes fluttered. On his chest, his light flickered once more.

They were out of time. Standing here talking was going to do nothing. He needed to get Anto to someone who could help him. But, where? Taking him off-world to the elves seemed like the best way to save his life, yet there was no telling what kind of reputation Anto had, what kind of life he'd lived since he'd been gone. If he hadn't gone to them to get healed already, it wasn't something that Loki wanted to risk. Nor did he want to risk trying to use his own seidr to help Anto build himself back up. Not after the last time he'd tried, and he'd found the light in Anto's chest had nullified his seidr. If Loki tried now, would it nullify it again, or would perhaps Loki's seidr overwhelm the remaining light?

All of that went through Loki's mind in the blink of an eye. There was only one option that came to him that made any sense, and he wasted no more time.

Loki used his seidr to unhook the bindings from Anto's wrists at the same time that he used more to lift his brother carefully up and bring him forward, allowing Loki to get his arms around him. He didn't care about the rest of the team at that moment; didn't even _think_ about them. All that mattered was getting his brother safe. With that in mind, Loki held him close, and he vanished.

* * *

The only place Loki could think of to take Anto to was his own tower. The thing in Anto's chest that kept him alive was clearly a mix of science and magic. As such, it was something that he likely cared for within his tower, which meant that JARVIS would have seen. He was Loki's only hope. If he knew nothing, then Loki would risk taking Anto to Alfheim and damn the consequences. He would threaten whoever it took to force them to just _heal him_.

Thank the Norns, it proved to be unnecessary. Not even seconds after Loki landed inside Anto's tower, JARVIS was speaking urgently. "If you would take Sir down to the entrance of his workshop, I'm prepping a replacement reactor now. By my calculations, we have no more than a minute at most to pull this reactor out and replace it with a new one."

That was all Loki needed to hear. In a flash, he was gone from the common floor and was instead standing at the entrance to Anto's most private area.

The doors opened just seconds after his arrival, and Loki moved quickly inside. "There is a table to the far left. If you would lay him down upon it," JARVIS instructed. He kept quiet as Loki brought Anto over to the table and gently arranged him to lay on it. As soon as he was settled, JARVIS was speaking again. "Step back, please."

Loki took a few steps backward, as far as he was capable of bringing himself to go, and watched in silence as mechanical arms descended from the ceiling. Any other time and Loki would've been marveling at just how much freedom this JARVIS had, despite not having an actual body. The arms moved smoothly and without hesitation to reach to what JARVIS had called the 'reactor' and begin to twist and remove it. They were almost surgical in their precision.

Even so, it was one of the hardest things that Loki had done, standing there and watching as Anto's mechanical heart was taken from his chest. There were only seconds between its removal and the attachment of the next, and yet they were some of the longest seconds that Loki had ever gone through. He found himself praying to the Norns for the first time since his time with Thanos. They had never answered his prayers then – he could only hope they would find it in them to answer them now. Loki had only just gotten his brother back. He couldn't bear to lose him again so soon. "Please," he whispered, watching the machines work. " _Please_."

By the time the new reactor was in place, and the arms retracted, Loki felt like his seidr was going to vibrate him apart. He waited only until there was enough room for him to get in past the moving arms before he darted forward once more.

The light in Anto's chest was glowing brightly. Though Anto wasn't awake, the light in his chest and the faint hint of seidr that Loki could pick up beyond it gave him hope. As did JARVIS.

"Sir's vitals are stabilizing," JARVIS told him. "The reactor is working effectively. While his magical signature is weaker than usual parameters, it's nothing that shouldn't heal on its own given the proper amount of time and rest. Until then, the rest of his injuries need to be treated by a medical professional. He should be taken to the medical bay. Then I would suggest going to fetch Dr. Banner. While Sir's wounds are of immediate concern, they do need to be taken care of soon."

For one moment Loki allowed himself to indulge by leaning forward and pressing his forehead against Anto's. He put a hand gently over the light in Anto's chest that was keeping him alive – a light that Loki had almost been forced to watch go out. "I cannot lose you again, Anto," Loki murmured, soft and low. He closed his eyes and let out a shaky breath. "If you put me through something like this again, I swear to you, I will stab you."

Despite those words, Loki brushed a gentle kiss on Anto's forehead. Then, with gentle hands, he once more gathered his brother in his arms.

* * *

It took almost a half an hour to get Anto settled down into his hospital bed, and then to go and gather up the Avengers and bring them back home. Sometime during Loki's absence, they'd managed to subdue what was left of the creatures, and the beasts from Vanaheim had been gathered together. Before Loki took the others back, he spared a moment to send the creatures home. Then he went to the others and gathered them close – grateful that the Hulk had shrunk back down to the quiet Dr. Banner already – and the group returned home.

Loki took them straight to the medical floor, though not directly into the room. "He does not need to be overwhelmed," Loki told them all when it was clear they wanted to rush in. "There is a window over there – feel free to observe. For now, Dr. Banner, if you wouldn't mind lending your assistance."

In short order, Loki and Bruce were inside the room, and Loki heard Bruce's sucked in breath when the good doctor finally caught sight of Anto. The sight wasn't an easy one. Though it wasn't the first time that Loki had seen his brother so injured, it never got any easier.

There was one brief moment where the two looked at the man they cared about and grieved for what had been done to him. Then, with the kind of mental shake that few were capable of, they both pushed all their emotions down and focused on doing what needed to be done. Loki went to stand beside the bed, one hand going to Anto's heart and the other to his head, and he began to try and feed energy to him just as he'd done not too long ago when Anto had returned from the dwarves. At the same time, Bruce began to gather supplies.

It was up to them to provide the healing that Anto needed. He'd be better – safer – with a proper healer, were he anyone but himself. As it stood now, Loki didn't dare risk it.

He caught Bruce's eye across the table where Bruce stood, holding a pair of scissors over Anto's remaining clothes. Loki gave a small nod, and Bruce bent to make the first cut.

* * *

All in all, it took them almost an hour to clean up and repair the damage to Anto's body. His magic was trying to help it all heal, which aided them, but it was too weak to be of too much use yet. Loki aided where he was able as well, though it wasn't much. But, in the end, they got Anto clean, bandaged, and settled as comfortably as possible, all without him waking.

Once that was done, they tucked him in, and Bruce brought a chair over for Loki. "I don't know if the hand placement is important, or just easier, but I figured you could use a seat at some point."

Loki dipped his head in acknowledgment of the gesture. "You have my thanks. For all of this."

"He's my friend," Bruce said simply.

When the doctor left, it took only moments before the others began to funnel in. Fizik and Thor were first, of course. Fizik took up stands at the head of the bed opposite Loki. He took a moment to look Anto over, to brush his hair back from his face and murmur soft words that were meant for Anto's ears alone. And then he stepped back a little, folded his arms over his chest, and became as immovable as a statue. There he would stand, Loki knew, until Anto awoke.

Thor came directly to Loki's side. Any of their current issues, any lingering animosity, would have to be addressed at a later date. For now, there were far more important things for them to focus on. In this, they were banded together in a way they hadn't been for so very long.

Loki didn't flinch when Thor's hand came to rest on his shoulder, or when his eldest brother's weight rested a bit against his side. The two stood together and looked down at the member of their family that had been missing, even if they hadn't realized it till now. They drew strength from one another as they took in all the things that had changed, and yet the things that still remained the same. Without the illusions in place, this was clearly still their Anto, and the Odinsons drank in the sight of him.

Rage was a familiar sensation for Loki. It was something he was quite intimate with; they'd been bedfellows many a time through his long life. However, he was unsure he'd ever felt a rage quite like the one he felt as he stared down at the body of his brother. Or, more specifically, at the marks that stood out on his skin. Marks that Loki knew had not been there once upon a time.

"Much has happened to him since we knew him last," Thor murmured.

Loki couldn't help it; he sneered. "Astute observations, brother."

The other Avengers were near the foot of the bed. The only one brave enough to come forward was the Hawk. When Fizik looked at him, ready to draw him back if need be, Loki shook his head. Not only did he trust his Hawk, he knew that Anto did as well.

Clint came right up to Anto's other shoulder, and he reached out to brush a bit of hair back from his face. "He still looks like him."

"This is how he was meant to look," Thor said. "This is our brother, as he has not been seen in two hundred years."

The gentle way that Clint's hand curved over Anto's cheek had Loki shifting a little against the urge to reach out and knock his hand away. But it also brought Loki's focus to something else – something he had been trying to avoid thinking about. The scars around Anto's lips stood out far too clearly for Loki's peace of mind. He knew scars like that rather intimately. His own were hidden in an illusion as strong as the one that kept him from switching to his Jotun form. He remembered what it was like when it'd happened to him – the rage that Anto had shown when Loki came home with the thread in his lips.

 _"Move!"_

 _The sound of that voice cut through the chaos around Loki like a knife. That was a sound that the soldiers here were quite familiar with and that they had been taught to obey from the instant they joined the guard. They all moved, drawing others back as well until there was a perfect pathway through the crowd right up to the horse where Loki sat._

 _Anto's face was a storm cloud; the silver in his eyes glittered dangerously in open warning to any who dared look at him. Those eyes didn't glance to anyone else, though. They were locked right on Loki._

 _The only one brave enough – or stupid enough, depending on your view – to try and speak was Thor. He called out "Brother…!" only to get cut off when Anto flung up a hand that was sparking with power._

 _"I suggest you keep your own mouth shut,_ brother _, or I might be tempted to find a way to help you share in his fate until I can get it fixed," Anto snarled out._

 _He moved past the last person and right up to Loki's horse. As he looked up, the fire in his eyes gentled, and his hands were kind when they reached up to him. He didn't comment on what was so clear to all of them. Instead, he lifted his chin and caught hold of Loki's hands. "Come, little brother. Let others see to your horse."_

 _It was easy to lean his weight against Anto's hands and let him help Loki down from the back of the horse. No sooner had Loki's feet steadied on the ground than Anto was casting a sharp glare around the now silent field. "Fandral, Volstagg, take care of the Prince's horse," Anto ordered. And it was definitely an order. "Thor, the Allfather is awaiting your report. I suggest you go and see to that." With deliberation, Anto turned his back on Thor and his friends, and his eyes sought out someone else in the crowd. When he found them, he gentled a little, though the command didn't leave his voice. "Alwyn, there you are. Come, grab the Prince's bags and see to it that they're taken care of, would you?"_

 _The serving boy came forward and gave a quick bow to both princes. He was one of the few servants that Anto liked; one who didn't treat him different, and seemed to have no issue in serving him. Because of that, he was one that Anto also trusted. "Of course, My Princes."_

 _The instant all of it was handled, Anto wasted no more time. He teleported the two of them directly into Anto's chambers. Once there, Loki found himself practically pushed down onto Anto's bed, and his brother was leaning over him, eyes glittering furiously once more as they took in the thread around Loki's lips. "I could kill them for this."_

 _Loki quickly shook his head. More bloodshed was the last thing this situation needed._

 _Sighing, Anto curled his hand over Loki's cheek, thumb tapping his nose. "Calm down. I said I could, not that I will. I will not, however, look at this thread a moment longer. And before you argue it, let me warn you, I'm neither in the mood nor do I care. If any wish to take issue with this, I am more than happy to introduce them to what exactly happens when people mess with what is mine."_

 _Loki knew he should protest. He knew he should argue that this was a punishment, and removing the threads early could cause such serious trouble. He knew all of that, and yet he lay there on Anto's bed while his brother used seidr to dull as much pain as he could, and he cut the thread away piece by piece until there was not a bit of it left_.

That hadn't been the end of it, either. Once the thread had been gone, Anto had stayed, cleaning Loki's lips, caring for the wounds, and fetching him food that would require little chewing to eat. He'd attended Loki through the entire healing process. More than that, he'd been there when Odin had come searching, and when the backlash that Loki had feared finally hit.

What happened that afternoon, Loki didn't know. Anto never would tell him. But he wondered now as he looked down at his brother if maybe that had been the start of things. If maybe it had been that moment that the first chasm between father and son had opened, creating the path towards _this_.

Whatever it was, whatever had happened, Loki knew one thing. Anto might've been alone in his pain before, but he was not going to be now. Now, it was Loki's turn to look after him.


	25. Chapter 25

Tony knew from the instant he woke up that he wasn't with Amora anymore. Battle instincts he hadn't used in quite a while were still sharp, and they had him assessing everything before he'd finished fully waking up. He wasn't chained, his seidr wasn't blocked, and his body ached far less than it had before. More than that, there were others nearby that he could sense – ones that he'd learned to recognize easily. First and foremost he could feel his favorite duo, one on either side of him, and that more than anything else was the final piece that let him know he was safe.

Careful fingers were carding through Tony's hair. When he turned his head, still not bothering to open his eyes, he found a shoulder right next to him that was at just the right height for him to lift his head and curl in to rest on it.

His movement got him low laughter that shook the shoulder he was laying on. "Well, I guess someone's finally awake," Clint said teasingly.

"Not." Tony shook his head and pressed his face in closer to Clint's shoulder. He rolled his body towards the archer even though it hurt to do it, seeking out more of his warmth.

The instant he moved, before he'd even managed to suck in a sharp breath, delicate hands were on his hip and shoulder, helping to make the process easier. "Careful, Antoshka," Natasha warned him. "Your body took a lot of damage. You're healing, but you should take it easy."

One of Clint's arms came around him, carefully curving over Tony's back and drawing him in with a gentle move that barely jostled Tony's injuries. Then, to his surprise, he felt Clint drop a _kiss_ on the top of his head. That was enough to finally get Tony to open his eyes. He tilted his head back, knowing that his eyes were wide, and stared up at Clint's face.

His expression had Clint smiling sadly. To avoid looking at it, Tony dropped his eyes and let them run around the room. That was when he realized that the room really was empty.

"Where is everyone?" Tony asked.

"We convinced them to leave like twenty minutes ago," Clint said, smiling.

"And we likely only have ten at most before they return," Natasha shot back. Compared to Clint, her voice was much more serious. Enough that it set Tony on edge. That feeling only got worse when Natasha turned more towards him and fixed him with a sharp stare. "I'd say this easier if we had the time, but we don't. Loki found the spell in his and Thor's mind, and he pulled them free. They know who you are."

The words were like a verbal slap to the face. Tony jerked back, reeling from them as if she actually had struck him. Unbidden, little pieces of memory floated to the forefront, broken by pain and the surety that he was going to die. Loki had been there with him, and he'd looked at Tony with knowing eyes. He'd actually _seen_ him. Tony had been so sure that was a dream!

Natasha reached out and laid her hand on his arm. A big gesture, for her. Never once did her eyes leave his face. "We need to know what you want to do."

"What…" Tony had to pause and clear his throat to be able to continue to speak. "What do you mean?"

It wasn't Natasha who answered him. Clint tugged Tony in just a bit closer and his voice was as steady as his hold when he told Tony: "You've fought pretty hard to keep this a secret, Tone. If them finding out is a bad thing, just say the word, and I'll get you out of here, and Tasha will go upstairs and keep them distracted till we're gone. We can have you out of here in five minutes or less."

There was one brief moment where Tony wanted nothing more than to take them up on it. He closed his eyes, a bit choked up that they'd even thought to make the offer, and he wanted so badly to reach out and take it. To just _run_. His secret was out in the open now, and Tony knew that going to face his brothers would mean losing them. There was no way they were going to let him get away with giving only half answers to the questions that they no doubt had. Sure, Tony could try his best to like, to hide things, but that would only prolong the inevitable. Eventually, they'd find out the truth, and Tony couldn't… he couldn't live with that kind of false hope.

The life he'd made here was done. There was nothing more left of it for him. Tony turned his head enough to better press his face against Clint's shoulder, soaking up this bit of affection one last time. These last moments were going to have to hold him over in the loneliness that Tony could stretching out into his future.

There, pressed in close, Tony murmured the words he knew he had to. "I can't run away from this anymore."

"We can keep them out until you're ready to talk," Clint offered quietly.

But Tony knew better. He knew it was a blessing that neither of his brothers was in here right now. They wouldn't let Clint or Natasha keep them out of here. Not even JARVIS would be able to fully stop the two if they were determined to get to Tony.

He was out of time.

Tony drew in a shaky breath and gathered up what little composure he had. He pushed down his fear and pain, the grief that was threatening to swallow him, and the memories that were trying to creep their way into his brain. Later, he knew, he was going to break. Not just from what was about to happen, but because of what had already happened. His capture at Amora's hands hadn't been easy – neither had what he'd undergone there. Too many memories wanted to creep in, and there was only so long he was going to be able to hold it all together. Later, Tony was going to break into pieces, and then he was going to have to put himself back together again. Alone. Just as he always was.

When Tony pulled back from Clint, his eyes were clear, and his masks were firmly in place. "Let's go get this over with."

To their credit, neither Natasha nor Clint tried to stop him. They knew better than that. Right now, there was nothing that would stop Tony. Their best choice was to go with him and at least make sure he got where he was going safely. They knew him well enough to know that if they tried to stop him, he'd just go alone, and they didn't want that.

Tony was grateful he had enough seidr built back up to be able to change his clothes with it. He opted for something simple – sweatpants, a t-shirt, socks, and sneakers. He could run in these clothes if he had to. He didn't bother trying to add the illusions back to himself. What was the point? They all knew who he was now. For this brief time, Tony was going to be himself. Who knew when he'd get that opportunity again?

Once he was on his feet, Clint and Natasha silently helped him over to the elevator. They didn't say anything. They didn't even comment on how heavily Tony was leaning against Clint. The archer took Tony's weight like it was nothing.

JARVIS was silent, too. He said not a word as the elevator took the trio up to where Tony presumed the others were. JARVIS would know what Tony wanted. He'd know where to take him.

Closing his eyes, Tony reached out and laid his palm flat against the elevator wall, wishing he had the words to offer his closest friend.

The elevator ride was both too long and yet not long enough. Tony's legs were shaking a little when it finally came to a stop, his body not ready to be upright for this long quite yet. But when the doors finally opened and Tony stepped out, Clint and Natasha on either side of him, he grabbed tight to the iron will that had gotten him this far, and he forced his legs steady, and his body away from their support. He might be walking to his own death here, in a sense, but Tony would be damned if he was going to cower as he did. He'd done enough of that already.

Everyone was already there. Whether they'd been there to begin with, or JARVIS had summoned them for him, Tony wasn't sure. Nor did he care. They were all seated in the living area, spaced out on couches and love seats, clearly talking about him. The sound of their footsteps, or maybe the feel of his magic for Loki, had the others looking up one by one until all of them were staring.

He pasted on his best smile, the one he pulled out when he'd just blown up something and was reassuring Pepper he was fine. He'd learned it a long time ago when he had to smile and pretend that the words he heard whispered through the city didn't affect him at all. It was a smile that only one being had ever been able to see through.

Tony smiled, and he strolled into the room like he didn't have a care in the world. "Oh, good! All of you are here, that makes it easier," Tony called out. He had to fight to hide a flinch when his next step jolted up over his knee and through his hip in a way that almost toppled him. Somehow he managed to hide it, pausing and putting his weight on his other hip, making it all look like a pose as he grinned at a sea of stunned faces. "Surprise?"

That single, flippant word was what broke the quiet that had fallen over the room.

"Tony, what're you doing up?" Bruce demanded. He was pushing up from his seat, concern clear on every inch of him, but he didn't get the chance to move.

Thor beat him to it.

The thunder god shot up from his seat with a loud cry of "Anto!" that echoed through the room. Whereas everyone else looked worried, Thor was _beaming_. His smile was bright as he came forward with his arms wide open, and Tony couldn't stop himself from reaching back. He couldn't give up the chance for a hug from his brother after so long.

Though Thor was gentle, there was still a sharp pang, an ache that spread through every inch of Tony, and he gasped yet didn't try and pull away. Thor's arms closed around him and enveloped Tony in a sense of safety that he'd always found in Thor's presence. Here, nothing could get him, and he knew that. Nothing had ever been able to take him when Thor was right there. There'd been times over the years that Tony had ached to be back here. To run away from the cruelty of the world and hide here, where it was safe.

The two pulled apart, only for Tony to feel another hand on his arm, catching him and turning him into his second hug. Tony _melted_ down into this one. If Thor was safe, then Loki was – everything. Safety, comfort, protection, joy, love. Everything that Tony could ever want was right here in his arms, all around him, and he basked in the sensation of it for far longer than he probably should have.

When they finally pulled apart, Loki brought his hand up to cup Tony's cheek, and he held his gaze. "I am furious with you."

"I know," Tony said back, softly. He smiled sadly up at his little brother, basking in the _knowledge_ that sat in those green depths. Loki was looking at him, and he was actually seeing him. "I'm here to explain everything if that helps."

"Marginally. We shall see, once we have answers."

Despite the sharpness of those words, there was so much warmth, so much _love_ , it was almost Tony's undoing. He couldn't stand here with it anymore. He just could. Not knowing what would come next.

Taking a step back and extracting himself from Loki's hold, Tony reached a hand out to Clint, and he was more than grateful that the archer didn't hesitate to come up to him. Clint had no problem ducking around the two hovering Asgardians to get to Tony, either. He moved quickly enough they didn't even realize what he was doing until he was already around them and catching Tony's hand in his. Low, so low the other humans here wouldn't hear, Tony murmured "Help me to the couch?"

"Work, work, work," Clint bitched good-naturedly. He moved, though, keeping his pace slow enough that Tony didn't have to go too fast.

When Tony realized where Clint was leading him, he shot his friend a grateful smile. Clint hadn't taken him towards a chair, or the open couch. Instead, he'd taken Tony to the loveseat where Natasha was already sitting, waiting for them. Once they were there, Tony was lowered down into the middle, and then Clint pushed his way in on Tony's other side until the three of them were squished together.

One look made it clear just how little Thor or Loki like this arrangement. They must've recognized the mulish expression that crossed Tony's face, the way he lifted his chin and set his shoulders, because they didn't argue it. They did, however, move almost simultaneously to take the loveseat that was closest to the couch.

The other Avengers spread out. Bruce and Steve took another loveseat, and both of them shot Tony sympathetic looks when he glanced their way.

Fizik, for his part, surprised most of the room when he went to stand between the couch and loveseat – between Clint and Thor. He kept himself angled so that he could see Tony while also making sure that he could watch the others. There was no doubt that his pose was a protective one. He was making his loyalty absolutely clear once again. At the same time, he offered Tony a brighter smile than the humans in the room had managed, and a cheerful "It's good to be seeing you back up again, Prince Anto."

"It's good to be back, and up," Tony answered truthfully. _No more waiting around. Let's get this done with_. "I figured there was no point in just lying around. I know you guys all have questions."

"They could've waited," Bruce interjected. He was looking at Tony in a way that made it clear he really wanted to bundle him up and take him back down to medical.

Smiling sadly, Tony shook his head. "No, it really couldn't have. But thanks, Bruce."

One last deep breath. One more look around at the faces of the people who were like family to him, and the ones who actually were family. One last time to memorize them all just like this. Open, full of affection, of worry and love for _him_. Tony took it all in and committed it to memory. Then… then he opened his mouth and let himself go all the way back to the beginning.

"I wasn't lying before when I told you guys I was banished from my home," Tony told them. "I just didn't mention where home really was. I sort of… let you draw your own conclusions. It was easier that way. I didn't want to have to explain to you guys who I was. Especially when…"

He had paused, trailed off a little, and Loki easily picked up the threads of his thoughts. "When we did not recognize you."

Tony pressed his lips together and nodded his head. "Yeah. I mean, I knew you guys eventually would find out, but I didn't… I wasn't ready for that. I wanted to pretend for a little while, I guess. I knew what it meant that you guys didn't remember me. I knew that, if I fixed it, I'd have to explain myself, and I really didn't want to." Huffing, he held out his hands and gave them wry grin. "I've always been a selfish bastard. Some things don't change, I guess."

It looked like more than a few people wanted to protest that. Clint made a low sound next to him, and he leaned in a little closer, letting Tony feel the weight of him. It was soothing, but it wasn't enough to take away that feeling in Tony's chest.

Loki, however, was the only one whose face stayed blank and controlled. He didn't show any emotion; he had his mask in place. The fact that he felt the need to pull it up around Tony was just another blow. He calmly focused right on Tony and asked the simplest question – the first of many Tony didn't want to answer. "Why did the Allfather banish you?"

Later, Tony would blame his injuries or the mental fatigue for the fact that he blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "I fell in love with someone I shouldn't have."

Even Loki's mask cracked a little under that. His eyebrows shot up, and Tony felt Loki's seidr draw in a little with surprise. Everyone else was a whole lot more vocal about their reaction. Thor's loud "What?" drowned out the "Are you kidding me" and "Seriously?" from the two over the other loveseat. But it was Clint's question that came out the clearest, even if it wasn't the loudest. "Dude, your Dad banished you because you loved someone?"

Tony ducked his head away, eyes darting to the side to try and avoid looking at them all. It brought his focus over to Natasha, and he realized that she hadn't said anything. She hadn't reacted. One look at her told him why. Natasha – Natasha understood. The sad way she was looking at him made Tony's chest ache. She _knew_. He had no idea how, but _she knew_.

Clearing his throat, Tony tore his gaze away from her and looked back around the room. He waited until they were quiet before he spoke again. "That wasn't my only crime, but it was the worst, in his eyes. It was also an easy excuse to punish me so that I wouldn't be able to confront him with any of the other secrets I'd found out. He…" Tony's voice gave out as the memories pushed forward. Memories of the words he had never once forgotten in all his years. The words that had sealed his fate. _'For your crimes against Asgard and your crimes against this family, I banish you, Anto Noson. You will be bound, your magic locked down, so that you may cause no more trouble for my family, and your lips shall be sealed, so that you cannot continue to spread your filth and lies.'_

A small, slender hand slipped underneath Tony's, the deceptively delicate fingers curling around his. Tony blinked open eyes he hadn't even realized he'd closed and stared down at the spot on the couch beside him where Natasha had used the shelter of their legs to slip her hand into his.

That touch helped ground him; helped him find the words he knew he had to say.

"He bound my magic in special cuffs," Tony said softly, eyes still on that hand in his. His hand twitched, and he fought not to clench down too hard and hurt her. "Then he had them sew my mouth shut. After that, he dumped me in another realm and left me there at their mercy. I stayed for over seventy years before I made my way to Alfheim. There, I hid out for a while longer, until I decided I couldn't anymore. I traveled, spent a bit of time in different places, before I decided to try my luck on Earth."

Outside, the sound of thunder crashing echoed loudly. At the same time, Bruce gave a low, " _Jesus_ , Tony," and his eyes were a little green, as were a few veins. He closed his eyes and Tony could see that he was focusing on breathing.

Next to him, Steve was clearly horrified. "He did _what_?"

Tony gave Steve a half smile, trying his best to avoid looking towards his brothers to see their reactions. "It's all right. I managed to find someone to help me get everything removed eventually."

He should've known that wouldn't be enough. He really should have. Yet somehow, he still flinched when he heard Loki quietly ask him: "How long?"

Tony didn't want to answer him. He really, really didn't. Because he knew which part that Loki was asking about and it was the last thing that Tony wanted to tell him. He knew just how many problems Loki had gone through because of his own lips being sewed shut. Tony had been there every step of the way – he'd fought hard with Odin afterward to defend his brother and make sure that no one dared to put the thread back. The time that Loki had spent like that, the _weeks_ he'd been kept that way before coming home, were some of the hardest that Loki had gone through.

Hearing about Tony's time might break him.

"Does it matter?" Tony asked, still avoiding looking at his brothers. He kept a tight hold of Natasha's hand and tried to press close enough to Clint, he was lucky he wasn't hurting the archer. "I…"

" _How long, Anto_?"

Those snarled words had Tony flinching. They were cold enough to practically freeze. Loki wasn't going to let this go. "A …year." Almost instantly there were gasps of horror around him, and Tony quickly tried to talk overtop of them. "But it's fine! It's totally fine. I made it out okay and with only minimal neurosis. I mean, I won't ever drink from a straw again, and I'm pretty sure I'll never really be able to stand enforced silence another day in my life, but like, really, of all the quirks to have those aren't even my weirdest ones, am I right?"

"How the hell could someone do that to their son?" Steve asked.

Loki huffed, the sound somehow managing to seethe with fury. "I assume he believed it to have worked once. Why not try it on another son?"

"Why did you not come to us?" Thor asked.

It was the first time Thor had spoken up in quite a while – a big change from the guy he'd used to be – and it hurt to hear the clear pain in his voice. So far, looking at Loki had been hard, but Tony had definitely made sure not to look at Thor. There was forever going to be a part of Tony that felt like Thor's little brother, and while Tony was scared of Loki's reactions to things, he was just as scared of Thor's in his own way. He'd never been able to get rid of the part of him that didn't want to disappoint the guy he'd once wanted nothing more than to be like.

Answering Thor's question wasn't easy, either. Tony knew they wouldn't like the answer.

He didn't have to, though. Natasha did it for him. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze, and her low murmur was clear enough for everyone to hear. "You thought they hated you."

Tony gave Natasha a smile that only slightly showed the strain at the edges.

He felt Loki's seidr actually recoil, and he heard Thor's sucked-in breath. "Brother…" Thor's voice broke, and Jesus, Tony hated himself for being the cause of that. "You truly thought us capable of that?"

"It's easy to believe just about anything when you're dying and alone." Tony finally looked up at them. He couldn't hold it back anymore. Even when he saw the stricken look on Thor's face, and the aching one on Loki's, there was no way Tony could break his eyes away.

The mask Tony Stark was known for slipped down over his face. Even on a face that was different for some of them, the mask was familiar. His lips quirked up into an amused yet sharp-edged smirk, and his expression was pure Tony Stark. Insolent, irreverent, and highly amused by the world around him. "Why would I believe anyone was coming after me when they'd all already abandoned me anyways? He made sure I knew damn well how disappointed and hurt everyone was." Tony could still remember those words loud and clear no matter how much time had passed. "The longer I was stuck there, the harder it became to ignore those words. Then five years had gone by, ten, fifty, a hundred. After a century without anyone trying to find me, without any sign that anyone gave a damn, yeah, I figured everyone hated me just as much as him. Can you blame me?"

The Avengers seemed to have gone quiet as if realizing that this was a part of the conversation that they couldn't be a part of. Tony was staring at his brothers, still smirking, almost daring them to argue his point.

When Thor finally spoke, what he said wasn't what Tony was expecting.

"Who was the one you fell in love with?"

Tony fought not to reel from the sharp slap of those words.

Time hadn't dulled Thor's ability to ask the most random questions – usually ones that Tony least wanted to answer. Whereas Loki had done it on purpose plenty of times, seeing things that no one else had ever seen in Tony, it always seemed to be pure luck on Thor's part. Whatever it was, Tony wished he'd lost that somewhere along the way.

Of all the things that Tony had to answer, he'd wanted to avoid this one, at least for a little while longer. Yet, with both men staring at him, and the Avengers watching nearby, there was no real way for Tony to get around this.

"Don't ask me that, Thor." Tony licked his lips. When he looked up at his brother for the first time since this conversation had started, it was almost too much to have to see the pain there. No fury – not yet. No disgust either. _There will be soon enough_. "Please, don't ask me that. Because if you do, I'll answer you, and I'll lose you. I'll lose both of you. I'm already going to have to run. I'd like to do it thinking you guys still actually care about me."

"Like hell if you're going anywhere!" Clint snapped out.

It wasn't Thor who repeated the question. He fell silent.

Loki did not.

"Who?"

Just that one word – one single word. Tony easily picked out Loki's voice even with Clint's sharp words echoing around them, mixing in with Steve's agreement. Still, Tony caught Loki's question, and he made himself turn. Made himself look at the person who had always meant more to him than anyone else in the entire nine realms. Tony didn't notice how silent everyone went around them. All he could focus on were the green eyes staring at him with so much affection and worry. A look he knew he'd lose here soon with just one single word.

"You."


	26. Chapter 26

The silence in the living room was so complete, Tony understood the meaning of 'you could hear a pin drop'. There was shock; that much he knew. It was all around them, in everyone, and yet Tony couldn't look at the rest of them. The only one he could look at was the one who was guaranteed to break his heart the most.

The shock had been evident on Loki's face for one brief instant before he shut everything down completely. Not a thing showed through. Tony's heart clenched at the sight of that mask. _Here we go_. He might as well share it all now. It wasn't like he hadn't already destroyed everything. Again.

Tony made himself keep his eyes on Loki, no matter how painful it was. He was the one that deserved the most explanation right now. Watching him, Tony held himself up proud in his seat, and he let go of the lies and the secrets that he'd wrapped around himself over his lifetime. He stopped trying to hide. And, for all that it was painful, it was slightly freeing, too.

"I'd been in love with you for a long time," Tony said, low and even. "Sometimes I think I've been in love with you for most of my life. There's not a time I can think of that I didn't look at you and feel love. I didn't understand what kind at first, but you were always everything to me." Pausing for a second, Tony let out a shaky breath and made himself keep going. "I never planned on saying anything to you. Bad enough I was _argr_. But for my brother? My _little_ brother? I was the worst kind of pervert, and I knew it. I wasn't going to let that shame touch you. But the Allfather… he didn't believe me."

"How did he find out?" Natasha asked.

Though she was the one to ask it, Tony still found himself answering Loki as if he were the one that had said the words. "You, uh, you remember that last magic we did together, right before I…vanished?"

There was a long moment of quiet before Loki answered. When he did, his voice was flat. "The mind shields."

"When I attacked for you to shield, you um… you turned blue."

That broke through the coldness of Loki's mask. His eyes briefly widened, and his words were sharp as a whip, cracking through the air. " _What_?"

 _I'm so sorry, Loki. I'm so, so sorry._ Tony watched his little brother, and he just _ached._ "Just for a second, your skin flashed blue. I wasn't sure if I had it right or not, but the more I thought about it, the more sickening sense it made. I did some research and I, I found out a lot of things. I was stupid enough to confront the Allfather with it all instead of just going to talk to you first. My anger got in the way of my logic. I needed… I needed to know what the hell he had to say for himself."

"You went to confront Father – alone – after discovering Loki's heritage," Thor repeated those words slowly like he was testing them out. Trying to find a way to make sense of them. When Tony looked over at him, he was stunned to see the sadness in Thor's eyes. The bone-deep sorrow that was echoed by the slowly darkening clouds outside. It stole Tony's voice away so that all he could do was stare as Thor's shoulders slumped. "It pains me to know that you felt you could not come to me with this. That I was not someone you felt you could trust with this truth."

"Nor, apparently, was I," Loki snapped. His hands were clenched together in his lap now, and his eyes were a bright flame. He must've moved beyond shock and into the emotion that Tony had expected – anger. The genius was braced for it and did nothing to stop it as Loki spewed venom at him. "You knew the truth about who I was – about _what_ I was. And instead of speaking to me, you went behind my back to speak with the Allfather? What gave you that right, Anto?"

Tony smiled sadly at him. "Nothing." No answer that would satisfy Loki, at least.

"I had a right to know!"

"Yes, you did," Tony agreed. "And I had every intention of telling you. Circumstances just got away from me. There was more to this than just you being Jotun, Loki." There was quite a bit more. Things that Tony knew they needed to know, though they held little sway now. Likely, Loki already knew it, considering how much he was aware of, and how much anger he had towards Odin. But, unlike the rest of this, unlike Tony's shame, this wasn't something that needed to be aired out in front of the others. Nor was whatever came next.

Tony held no illusion that this was a meeting that was going to end well. Perhaps it was better if his friends weren't here to see it.

With that in mind, Tony swept his gaze over the various Avengers, smiling at them as best as he could. "Would you mind giving us the floor for a while, guys?"

Bless them all, each and every one of them, they didn't argue with him. They didn't even protest. Natasha gave his hand one final squeeze before she rose, and Clint gave him a hug. Steve offered a smile, as did Fizik. Only Bruce took a second to point at him and try and glare. "You've got a half hour, Tony. Max. Then I'm coming back up here and getting you back to bed even if I've got to get the Other Guy to haul you down there."

"We will ensure he returns there," Thor promised solemnly.

Tony smiled and said not a word. He just took in the open affection on Bruce's face and soaked it up.

As he watched them walk away, he couldn't help but think _I'll miss you._

Soon enough, the floor was empty. Only Tony, Loki, Thor, and JARVIS remained. Tony sat there silently on a couch that felt much larger and much emptier than it had moments ago. He hadn't realized just how much he'd been leaning on the support of Natasha and Clint until it was gone. Suddenly, it felt so much harder to bring himself to even look up at his brothers. Tony brought his hands together in his lap and tried not to clench down with them. His wrists were aching; a low, steady throb that he'd mostly ignored so far. Now, he stared down at them, eyes tracing each mark on his wrist, each bruise.

It was going to be up to Tony to start to speak here. He had to say this – had to get it all out. This whole thing needed to be _done_. Then Tony could run, hole up somewhere, and lick his wounds.

"I don't know what you learned when you found out about your heritage," Tony said slowly. He snuck a look up at Loki and tried not to flinch at the anger still there.

Loki's lip curled up into an open sneer. "I know that he stole me from Jotunheim in hopes of using me as a political pawn to further cement peace with them one day."

There was no way Tony could stop the snort that slipped free. Was that what Odin had told him? "That's the stupidest idea I've ever heard." At their shocked looks, the both of them, Tony raised an eyebrow. This, at least, he could do. This was easier ground. "Come on, guys. Use your heads. How would taking Loki help him out in brokering peace? He stole the _king's son_ from a sacred temple where he'd been left. Not because they wanted to leave the kid to die," he slanted a look at Loki there, and the way Loki's eyes had gone wide made it clear that was what he'd believed – what Odin had likely told him. Tony huffed out a disgusted breath. "You guys never did take the time to learn anything about Jotunheim, did you? You were too willing to see them as the monsters Odin makes them out to be."

"They _are_ monsters," Loki hissed furiously.

On this, Tony wasn't going to back down, and he wasn't going to cower. "No, they aren't! Being _different_ doesn't make someone a monster! I'll tell you right here and now, I'd rather go back to spend time on Jotunheim than ever have to deal with Odin Allfather again. He's far more a monster than they ever could be!"

The fury and passion behind Tony's words shocked both his brothers into silence. Taking advantage of that, Tony continued on, hurrying to get the words out before someone interrupted him again.

"The Jotnar are a harsh people, yeah. They kind of have to be, living on the planet they do. It's not made for those that can't toughen up. But they aren't _monsters_ because of it."

"Then why did they leave him there?" Thor asked.

 _Thank you, Thor_. He'd asked just the question Tony wanted him to. "Because it was a part of their birthing ceremony. Children are a gift to the Jotnar. They cherish each and every one of them. When a child's born, the whole tribe celebrates it. It can mean different things for different tribes, but for the main tribe, including the royal family, they have a whole ceremony. A child born of royal blood is cleaned and prepared hours after birth, fed to make sure they won't go hungry, and then they're taken to the sacred temple where they're laid down and surrounded by magic. I have no idea what happens overnight – that's something they shared only with each other. But come morning, when they return, the child is marked. Those lines on your skin… they're a mark of who you are, and who you're meant to be. They mark you as a mage, a shapeshifter, and of royal blood, and so many other things I don't know the meaning of. Once you were brought back, the tribe's Mage would've read your fortune in your marks and recorded it in their histories. Instead… instead, Odin took you."

It was clear that neither Thor nor Loki had known any of that. They both looked shocked by his words. The fact that they didn't seem to doubt him kind of floored Tony. He'd expected denial of some sort. Yet the two just looked.. stunned. No, more than that. _Thor_ looked stunned – _Loki_ looked devastated.

Tony gentled his voice. He knew what he was saying was hard for them to hear. Hard for Loki to accept, even. But he needed to tell them. While they were still focused on this – before they remembered his confession, before he had to go – he needed to make sure they at least understood. Loki deserved to know.

"If Odin wanted to use you for peace in the future, he'd have to show that you were a Jotun. The instant he did that, the marks on your skin would've been checked, his story would've been checked, and they would've found out who you really were. That wouldn't have brought peace. Laufey would've used that as an excuse to invade Asgard and destroy everything."

"Then why take him?" Thor asked, sneaking a glance over at Loki. "Why take Loki if it would only lead to such trouble?"

Grimacing, Tony shrugged one shoulder and waved a hand through the air in an 'I don't know' gesture. "It wasn't like he laid out his plans to me. Things got a little heated pretty quickly. But, best as I could guess… he wanted to marry Loki off and then reveal his heritage, set him up to be king, and have him kill of Laufey. With the way he made sure everyone hated the Jotnar, it wouldn't have been hard to convince you guys that Laufey needed to die. If he'd done it just right, revealed things in his own way, he could've ensured that you stayed loyal to him."

"And he would have a puppet king of Jotunheim," Loki finished slowly.

Tony nodded at him. "Yeah. It was the only thing that made sense to me. And I… I had to know. I couldn't just tell you, not without knowing everything." Remembered pain flashed through Tony. He hunched his shoulders against it and tried not to let them see just how much it hurt. "I was stupid. As soon as he knew I'd figured some things out, he wasn't going to risk me figuring out any more and telling anyone. Not when it could've toppled all his plans. And he didn't need me. He's already got Alfheim under control, even if it's not as much as he wants. Sending me there would've made it more secure, but he can work with what he has. I was expendable."

As much as it hurt, it was something Tony had come to terms with. He'd been expendable to Odin. In a way, they all were.

The silence over the room felt heavy. Tony knew he'd given them so much to think about; they needed time. All of them needed time. And he… well, honestly, right then Tony needed a bed. He wasn't sure how much longer he was going to be able to keep upright. "I know this is a lot to take in," he said into the quiet of the room. "I'm… there are a few more allies I need to court. That should keep me away for a few days so you'll have time to think…"

"You're leaving?" Thor blurted out.

Tony shrugged one shoulder as casually as he could manage. It still seemed to come off as more of a twitch than anything else. "I think we all need a chance to relax and think through everything we've learned today."

He heard the sound of someone trying to speak, and then silence. Just as Tony prepared to push himself p, or teleport away – anything to get away from this – Loki spoke. "And if we were to let you go, would you actually return?"

It took a lot of effort for Tony not to flinch. More for him to make himself lift his eyes again and smile as he lied right to Loki's face. "Of course I would."

Loki pressed his lips together. After staring at Tony for a moment, Loki finally said: "Thor, leave us."

"Brother…"

" _Leave us_." Loki didn't look away from Tony as he said, "I believe Anto and I have a few things to discuss. Please, go let the others know that we'll be returning downstairs to the medical floor shortly." The way he said that, the sharp look he gave Tony, was a promise that Tony was going to be returning there with him. Tony didn't bother arguing it right now. There was no point. Let Loki think what he wanted.

When it looked like Thor was going to argue with them, Loki solved the problem by waving a hand in Thor's direction. In a sparkle of green light, their oldest brother was gone, not even having enough time to shout before he was sent away.

Tony licked his suddenly dry lips. "He's going to be pissed over that."

"I'm quite sure he'll cope," Loki said bluntly. "As I'm quite sure neither of us wishes to have him hear the things we are about to say."

There was no stopping his flinch this time. Tony knew Loki saw it, and he also knew that Loki's words were right. What came next was something that Thor didn't need to hear. Besides which, when he had time away from them to sit and think, to let Tony's words process, no doubt he'd have a few choice words for Tony as well.

However, for now, it was Loki here, and Tony owed it to Loki to listen to him. Loki had every right to rant and rage and do what he wanted to Tony. The engineer drew himself up and blinked his eyes a few times until he was sure they'd stay dry before he brought them up to Loki's face. "Say what you need to, then, Lokes. Let's get this over with, huh?"

The fire was back in Loki's eyes, and it leapt brighter than before at Tony's words. " _You are an idiot_ ," was the very first thing that Loki spat out, and honestly, it was nicer than Tony had anticipated.

"That's not really anything new," Tony said dryly.

It earned him a snarl. Loki clenched his hands so tightly his knuckles went white, and his seidr sparked around them in a blatant display of just how shaky his control was. "How dare you? How dare you keep all this from me? We might have had our secrets, but I _trusted_ you! And for what? For you to lie to me? To keep from me things that I had a right to know?"

Tony flinched again. "I know. I'm sorry."

He watched as pain flashed through Loki's features. He drew back, and there was hurt clear in his eyes. So much hurt. All caused by _Tony_. "Even now, you still do not trust me."

Now that, Tony couldn't just ignore. His eyebrows shot up, and he sat up a little straighter. "I do!"

"Do you? Tell me, _Anthony_ , how many months was it again that you kept your secret here?" Loki fired back. He deliberately used Tony's other name, knowing just how much of a slap in the face it would be. "How many times did you look me in the face and _lie_ to me? How many times did you smile and pretend to be someone else, all the while knowing that I was in the dark? You kept yourself from Thor and I – from _me_ – because you did not trust us."

"It wasn't like that!"

"Oh? Then how was it?"

Why was he doing this? Why was he drawing it out this way? They both knew why Tony had kept his secret. He fisted his hands in the soft material of his pants and fought not to tear through them. Tony could feel his slowly recovering seidr pushing out from him in shaky waves, begging to be free, only there was nothing here for him to use it against. Nothing that he could fight.

The sound that came from Loki was somewhere between a scoff, and the sound of some wounded animal. It was low in his throat, and it echoed with the kind of pain that hurt to hear. "Do you truly think so little of me?"

"I think the world of you," Tony said softly, achingly. The words were the truest thing he'd ever uttered, and he knew his heart was evident in them, right out there in the open for Loki to hear. Closing his eyes, Tony held himself still and poured out the rest of his heart to the only being who had ever laid any true claim to it. "You were the only thing that kept me alive. You… you were the voice I heard when I was alone on the ice, or trapped in a cave. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't… I wouldn't be here."

"Indeed. If it weren't for me, you never would have been in this mess to begin with."

That had Tony's eyes snapping open again. He didn't think anything of the tears that burned in his eyes, blurring the vision of Loki in front of him. Tony stared at him, and couldn't be anything but honest. "I'd take my punishment a thousand times over if it meant having had you in my life. In whatever capacity."

Rightfully, this should've been when Loki flinched away from him again because there was no doubt what Tony's words meant. That reminder should've been enough to draw Loki back from his hurt. Only, his eyes grew sadder, and Tony got to see the faint tremble around Loki's lips that he knew meant just how short his brother's control truly was. It was something that – to Tony's knowledge – no one else had ever seen. A vulnerability that Loki allowed with no one else.

Then Tony couldn't think about that anymore, not when Loki whispered: "As would I."

His words were soft, yet they cut off anything Tony might've said. They took away the last bit of steady ground that Tony was standing on and yanked it out from under him.

"You were everything to me, once." That little tremor was in Loki's voice now, too, and _Norns_ , Tony wanted to reach out to him, to soothe it away! But he was frozen in his seat. All he could do was stare as Loki let out a breath that looked like a shudder and kept on breaking Tony with his soft, aching words. "The very first dream I had of another was about you. And while it scared me, it felt natural. As if a part of me was saying, _Yes, of course. It was always him_."

Tony's breath tore out of him like he'd been punched. He could barely breathe – it felt like all the air had been stolen from his lungs. He… he had to be hearing this wrong. He _had to be_. "Loki."

"A world without you in it made no sense to me. I knew that what I felt for you was not quite right – that it was not what it should be. Nor would it ever be accepted in Asgard. Yet, when had either of us ever been accepted?" A bitter parody of a smile twisted Loki's lips. "We were always the outcasts. The two imperfect pieces in an otherwise pristine collection. Who else would I have fallen in love with?"

The tears that Tony had been fighting before were burning trails down his cheeks now. This… this was everything he'd wanted, everything he'd dreamed of, and yet it was too good to be true. Tony wanted so desperately to trust this. He did. He wanted more than anything to reach out with both hands to what he thought Loki was offering here, and grab hold of it. To never let it go. But he'd been burned one too many times in life. _I don't get this. These things, they don't happen to me._

"Don't…" The word tore from Tony, throbbing with the pain that was wrapped tightly around his heart. "I can't… if you're just… " Words failed Tony. He dropped every pretense, every wall, and looked up at Loki with open pleading in his eyes, begging the one person he'd always trusted. Begging for Loki not to break him. "Don't." The soft whisper was all Tony could get out.

In an instant, just the blink of an eye it felt like, Loki went from seated nearby to kneeling at Tony's feet. His hands were shaking, Tony noticed. Fine tremors ran through them as Loki brought them up and cupped Tony's face in a gentle hold that only served to make Tony's tears come faster. He had no defenses left here. All his secrets had been laid bare, and he was just, he was so _tired_. Today had been too much, and Tony was too exhausted to fight it anymore.

"Anto," Loki breathed Tony's name out like it was a prayer and a benediction all rolled into one. As if it were the sweetest sound he was ever going to say. Then he drew himself up until they were able to press their foreheads together. He tilted his head, nuzzling his nose against Tony's. "You sweet, amazing, idiotic _fool_. I have lost you once already in my life. Even though I wasn't aware of what I lost, I still felt it. I am not complete without you. Do not think that I am ever going to let you go again."

The whole world seemed to fall away as Loki leaned in and closed that last tiny bit of distance, pressing his lips against Tony's. It was the softest, most chaste kiss that Tony had ever been a part of, and it felt like coming home.


	27. Chapter 27

One kiss turned to two, and two to more, and Loki felt as if he were holding the center of existence right there in the palms of his hands. Everything he had ever wanted – everything he'd been so sure he would never be able to have. It'd been taken from him, and Loki had been empty, even without realizing _why_. But he had those pieces of himself back now. Back, and so much _more_. All the things that Loki had wanted and been so sure he would never have.

 _Mine_ , he said with every press of his lips. _Yours_ , he breathed out. Giving and taking and finding the kind of completion that he had never dared dream of except in the darkness of his room, those few stolen moments in the middle of the night where fantasy briefly becomes reality. Where the things we want overshadow the things we have and dreams run free.

To have his brother brought back to him was more than Loki had known to want for. The Allfather's spell had ripped that away. But… to have _this_. To have Anto, alive underneath his hands, and so totally _his_ , even as he was _Anto's_. It was everything.

They had only moments – minutes, hours, days, _eternities_ – in which to cling to one another and relish the joy of this connection. This feeling of coming home.

Then, reality returned like a harsh slap.

Anto – Anto, Tony, Einn, all of them and none of them, his darling whirlwind of brilliance and madness – shuddered and shook for reasons more than joy. His seidr trembled, a weak light against Loki's own, and the hands on Loki shook with an exhaustion that wouldn't be denied.

Loki drew them back until only their foreheads were pressed together. Blinking open his eyes, he found gorgeous brown, deep as the soil and flecked with the silver of the stars, staring at him with warmth and _worship_ , tinged ever so slightly at the edges with exhaustion.

"Anthony," Loki murmured, putting everything he couldn't say into that single word.

The way that those stars danced in Tony's eyes was glorious. "Norns, I really hope you don't end up being some insane dream, and I wake up to find out I'm still strapped on that bitch's shitty bondage bed."

The crude, blunt words broke the last of the spell surrounding them. However, they weren't enough to take away the joy that sang through Loki's seidr. He found himself grinning widely and unashamedly. "Oh, no. Not even your imagination is this good."

"Don't doubt me, gorgeous."

A low laugh slid from Loki. Then, just because he could, he stole another kiss. Against Tony's lips, he murmured: "Do not think we are done arguing. I am still _quite_ furious with you."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Tony murmured back.

The tiredness Tony felt was clear, and it was growing stronger. He was slipping forward, more and more of his weight pressing into Loki. It wouldn't be long before he lost the strength to even sit upright.

"Come, our arguments may wait for you to be alert enough to appreciate my rage. I promised to get you to your rest." Loki's hands were gentle when he shifted them both and gathered Tony up against him. One arm under Tony's legs, another behind his back, and he easily lifted his brother into his arms, cradling him close against his chest.

The way that Tony didn't fight him made it clear just how tired he truly was. His body was almost lax in Loki's hold, and his head drifted easily to rest against Loki's shoulder. Tiny tremors shook through his limbs and were echoed in his seidr. Loki was reminded of just how much Tony had been through. How close they'd come to losing him. It made Loki's movements a bit quicker as he straightened himself back up. In the span of a thought, they stepped through the folds of space and down to the medical bay.

The whole of the team was waiting for them when they arrived. Thor was the first to notice them, his head snapping up the instant he felt their arrival, and the concern in his eyes was strong. It reminded Loki that he wasn't the only one who had lost and then recovered someone important this day.

"Draw back the blankets," Loki said, striding forward.

Neither one mentioned that Loki could've easily used his seidr to do it. Thor simply hurried to draw the blankets down and make room for Tony. He was there as Loki began to lower him, one large hand cupping the back of Tony's head to help make the transition smoother. Tony curled to the side and, eyes mostly closed, nuzzled in against Thor's hand. "S' warm."

"We shall get you warm soon enough," Loki promised him. He could see how quickly Tony was slipping now that he was lying down somewhere. Whatever strength he'd found to get him through his confession, it was quickly leaving him.

A little furrow appeared in Tony's brow. "Think I might throw up." He turned his face more against Thor's hand and grumbled " _Hate_ throwing up. S' stupid. Makes m' throat hurt."

"Peace." Thor's voice was a low, easy murmur, one that dredged up some of these too-fresh memories and threw Loki back to a different time and place, of the way that voice had once soothed both him and the being lying here in bed. "Rest, brother. You will feel more yourself when you wake."

Tony's face softened a little more, and his voice devolved into soft little mumbles, only a few words of which were clear. Something about being cold, definitely. Loki reached out and gathered up the blankets, bringing them up over him.

"Is that… normal?" Steve asked from nearby, concern clear in every word.

It didn't take a genius to know what he was referring to. "It is normal," Loki reassured them. A fond smile curved his lips. "He has always babbled incessantly. More so while ill."

Thor nodded his agreement. "Aye. Tis when he's silent that you should worry."

A bit of seidr and Loki made sure that Tony should sleep dream free and peacefully. He also made it so that he would be alerted if Tony began to stir. Because – though Loki would like nothing more than to stay here at Tony's side – there were things that needed to be done. Conversations that must be had. Loki wanted them dealt with long before Tony woke. For centuries now, Tony had been living in fear. _Terror_. Thinking that his family hated him for who he was, and what he felt, and believing that they would do him harm on sight. If Loki could soothe down the source of those fears before Tony woke, he would do it.

Still, he didn't relish the idea. He had gained one brother back today. Loki knew that it might come at a high cost; that it might lose him the other.

As soon as Loki was sure that Tony would stay asleep, he straightened himself up and looked around the room at the rest of the Avengers. "I've made sure that he should have as peaceful sleep as possible. I've also laid down wards to ensure that I'll be alerted should he start to wake. Still, I would be grateful if you kept an eye on me for him, Dr. Banner."

"Where're you going?" Steve asked almost instantly.

There was no need for Loki to answer. Natasha reached out and drew him back, giving him a look of warning, and she met Loki's eyes before giving a nod. She was letting him know she'd handle the others. Loki nodded back at her and then turned to Fizik. All he said were two simple words: "Guard him."

Loki didn't bother to wait for Fizik's answer. He knew what it would be. With that last order, Loki reached out with his seidr, wrapped it around his eldest brother, and they vanished.

* * *

They didn't go far. Despite the fact that Loki knew Tony was safe and healthy, or as healthy as he could be right now, there was no way that Loki could bring himself to be too far away. Still, Loki had enough presence of mind to take them to his own floor, which he had protected with as many wards as he could. It meant that they'd be safe from any prying eyes – though Tony kept his tower protected from those, anyway.

As soon as they landed, Loki was bracing himself for trouble, drawing up every protective mask he had ever learned. This was going to be a far from easy talk.

Thor spun around the room once when he realized what had happened. When he brought his eyes back to Loki, they were storming. "Why have you taken us away?"

"We have much to speak of. I felt it better to do it here instead of over our brother's sickbed."

The calmness of Loki's words did little to soothe Thor. If anything, they only seemed to ignite the temper that was lurking inside. The storm clouds in Thor's eyes grew darker. "Take me back."

"No."

" _Take me back_."

The fraying edge of Thor's temper was showing through in the heavy set of his voice and in every line of his body. He was angled towards Loki, not away, making it clear that running or even heading for the elevators hadn't occurred to him. Loki took note of the way that Thor's hands had curled into fists, how his whole body was still tense. This wasn't going to end well for either of them. Yet Loki still tilted his chin up and calmly met Thor's stormy gaze. "No."

The first strike wasn't unexpected, and therefore easy to dodge. Loki managed to duck two more before Thor finally caught him with a strike to the face that sent Loki flying back to crash into a wall.

Pressing his shoulder against the wall to brace himself, Loki brought a hand up and touched his mouth, drawing his fingers away to show the blood that now wet them. He tossed his hair back from his face so he could look up at Thor. "Feel better?"

The sight of Loki's blood seemed to have calmed Thor somewhat. Or, at least, filled him with the beginnings of regret. "No. I'm sorry, brother."

"Oh, are you?" Loki ran his tongue over his teeth, making sure that they were all there, and then pushed himself up the rest of the way until he was standing straight again. A sneer curled his still bloody lips. "Are you truly?"

"Aye."

Loki cocked an eyebrow at him. "So, there's not a part of you that still wishes to trade a few more blows? Or perhaps you wish to do more damage? To throw me down and take out your rage until I'm nothing more than a bloody mess upon the floor."

Horror had Thor's eyes going wide. "No!"

"Are you quite sure?" Loki took a step forward, goading him, _pushing_ him. "Isn't that how all Æsir react to the idea of one being _argr_? I remember many a time you defended _my honor_ from such accusations. Tell me, brother – would it shame you to know how true those were?" Letting his smirk grow, Loki spread his hands to either side. "Or would it truly shame you to know how often I imagined those men were Anto in my bed?"

" _Loki_ …" Thor drawled his name out in threat – in warning. It was a sound meant to tell Loki that he was pushing too far or too hard.

Naturally, Loki could only push more. They _needed_ to get this out in the open. To have it dealt with, now, instead of having it come out on Anto later. He had been through enough.

"You never hid your own disgust at anything outside the norm for love or sex. What makes it so different now?" Loki asked him. "I've heard you revile those who love the same gender. I've witnessed your rage at even the suggestion that a brother of yours may be so inclined. Tell me – has Thor the Thunderer changed so much that he can accept the love of two men? Not just any two men, but his two brothers?" This time Loki's grin was sharp – as sharp as his blades. It was meant to cut and cut deep. "Because I assure you, _brother_ , as long as there is breath left in my body, Anto is _mine._ The Norns themselves will not take him from me again."

Thor trembled ever so slightly, and a pained look crossed his face. Only, instead of yelling or starting another fight, he closed his eyes. "Must we do this now, Loki?"

"When better?" Loki shot back.

Only, instead of pushing Thor more, his words only made his eldest brother slump down where he stood. That pained look stayed, growing stronger. Thor let out a heavy sigh and opened up eyes that were as dark and sad as a winter rainstorm. "I have gained and lost much this day. We all have. My heart grieves for what Anto has been through – what our own father put him through." Thor huffed and brought a hand up to run over his face. "Time and time again, my brothers have needed me, needed my help, and I have not been there. I have failed so wholly as a brother that my siblings cannot even come to me in their time of need for fear of what I may say or do. Even now, you seek to protect him from me, as if that should be necessary. The fact that you feel it is so grieves me deeply."

This was not… it was nothing at all like what Loki had expected. There was real, true pain in Thor's voice, deeper than Loki had expected to hear, and so far off from what he'd planned.

"I am not angry with you, Loki," Thor said lowly, achingly. "I am angry with myself, with our Father, and with Asgard itself. I grieve for the family we have lost this day, and I grieve that the beauty of the home that I have known was only an illusion – one that neither of you shared in. I am angry at how our brother was stolen from us, and I grieve deeply at the pain he has suffered the last centuries, alone and afraid to even reach out to us." Letting out a shaky breath, Thor spread his hands out to either side, and his face was etched with age and sadness. "In the face of that, what matter is it who you love? You have both found precious little in your lives. I cannot begrudge you the need to grab it when it shows."

"This… is not quite the reaction I was expecting," Loki said slowly. Which was a vast understatement. He hadn't anticipated this _at all._

Thor dropped his hands and gave Loki a half smile. "My time on Midgard has changed me. For the better, I'm hoping. As my Jane would say, things do not appear as 'black and white' as they once did."

For a long moment, Loki could only stare, trying to read anything possible in Thor's voice and his words, searching for any mistruth that might be lying hidden there. All he found was the same startling honesty that Thor had always been known for. Seeing that, and nothing more, Loki found his own tension fading away. "She has been good for you."

"She has," Thor agreed easily. A smile curved his lips, likely an unconscious one, which gave it all the more meaning.

Loki let go of the last of his anger, an anger that had been fueled by fear and protectiveness, yet he couldn't quite let go of _everything_. There was a part of him that he had found again with the return of his memories; a part of him that had been hidden and buried for so long. That part of him that had always wanted to _be something_ in the eyes of his eldest brother. It was that part which came to the forefront now and had him quietly asking "It truly does not matter to you?"

There must've been something more in his voice that Thor heard because he was moving in an instant, his hand coming out to cup Loki's shoulder and then slide up to his neck and the side of his face. That hold brought Loki close in a pose the two had shared many a time. It was the same gesture Thor always used to offer strength and comfort. "I cannot say that I understand, but if it makes you happy, that is all I need to know, little brother. That is all that has ever mattered."

Later, Loki would blame his reaction on the emotional stresses of the day. Too many things had happened, too much had been thrust upon him, and his defenses were nowhere near their usual strength. That was the reason he allowed himself to lean in, just the slightest bit, knowing full well that Thor would follow it up instantly by dragging Loki in close and wrapping him in the kind of hug they hadn't shared since they were children.

Loki would deny it to his death – or Thor's, should he dare to tell anyone – but he melted into his brother and took the comfort that was being offered, leaning on a strength that he had been sure was lost to him ages upon ages ago.

* * *

There was no signs of their argument, or the following moments after, when the two returned to the medical room. Loki was, however, surprised to see that the various other beds were filled and that the Avengers all seemed to be… asleep?

Fizik met Loki's curious look with a smile. "They didn't wish to leave him."

Ah. Well, Loki supposed he couldn't blame them for that. Though his seidr told him that Tony was healing well, that his seidr was replenishing and his body healing, he wasn't fond of the idea of having been gone from him, either. Being back in here eased the knot of tension that had built under Loki's heart. It faded even more when Loki slipped down into the chair at Tony's bedside.

He saw as Thor took the seat across from him, not hesitating to reach out and lay his hand on Tony's arm. Much as Loki wanted to, he held back from taking Tony's hand in his. Right now Tony needed sleep more than he needed people pawing at him. Still, that didn't mean that Loki couldn't sit here and let his eyes drink their fill.

Memories of their earlier conversation tried to push their way to the front. All the things that Tony had spoken of, the things he'd admitted to, Loki knew those were only the tip of the iceberg. He'd known that Tony had been through something serious – he'd figured that out long before he'd realized that Tony was Anto. Getting even the hints of it today were heartbreaking. Add it on top of the other revelations, and Tony's capture and rescue, and it was all on the edge of _too much_.

But… they were here now. They were here, and though Tony was battered, he was not broken. He was alive and safe, and even better than that – he was _Loki_ 's. That knowledge burned through Loki's veins like fire. A fire he would happily be consumed by.

Having Tony at his side this way made the prospect of the future a bit less bleak. Oh, there was still plenty they had left to do, Loki knew. There was much left for them to handle.

Thanos was still coming, and the Avengers and Midgard needed to finish seeking their allies, preparing the whole of the Nine for war. On top of that, they now had Asgard to deal with, and a whole host of issues there. Odin's treachery could not be ignored. Thor would certainly never be able to look the Allfather in the face and not share his rage. Asgard had many things to answer for. Even Frigga – who had clearly known of Tony, judging by her note, and yet what did that mean? Did that mean she abandoned him to his fate? Had she been complacent in yet another lie perpetrated by the Allfather? Or had she been spelled as well? And if so – how had she gotten free?

They had gained much with Tony's return, and yet at the same time, they had gained many questions with it.

So much lay ahead of them. Loki could only hope that they would be enough to stand against it. Thanos and Asgard – a Mad Titan and a Mad King. It was going to be absolute chaos.

Staring at his beloved, a slow grin stretched its way over Loki's lips.

Where better for a god of madness and a god of mischief to be?

 **END (FOR NOW)**


End file.
